One of the interesting side lights to the Olympic Track and Field Trials being held in Eugene, Oregon this week is the Track Town Power Station. Safeway is sponsoring 14 stationery bicycles where festival attendees can sign up to pedal at least a half hour (or longer if they like) to help provide electric power for the fan festival stage.
Each bike is wired to a battery pack and transformer that converts the battery power into AC power, and the whole setup is an attempt to keep the trials as "green" as possible. Lots of citizens see it as a fun way to do their part to make the whole 10-day event a success as well as an opportunity to get a little exercise while they are at it. After all, this is probably not something that will come along again in their lifetime so why not really get into it seems to be the prevailing attitude.
The promoters estimate that all 14 bikes will have to be pedaled for at least 12 hours a day in order to provide enough power for the entire festival. Since temperatures have been running in the low to mid 90's, it is going to take some pretty dedicated bike riders to stick at it. We'll have to wait and see if more traditional power will have to kick in after all.
Last night, thunder and lightning cleared the entertainment area 2 hours before the scheduled closing time, and another possible storm is predicted for later this afternoon. Spirits are high though, and the competitors for a spot in the actual games to be held in China are being selected even as you read this article. A few previous records have fallen so far, and no doubt a few more will disappear before the end of the trials.
Check out these videos on different parts of the competition. The one showing how human legs can work together to provide electric power is called Pedal Power.
http://rgweb.registerguard.com/video/index.php
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1 comment:
Good words.
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