A Day of Fun for the Environment
24/06/2013
Who said Saving Energy has to be boring? Read this article written by Minh Hoang, our popular Vietnamese environmental educator, who organised a fun field trip to the Energy Efficiency Room for his HACC Vietnamese group as part of the Save Power Project. It’s truly a day of fun with loads of helpful information!
This fun day trip to the Energy Efficiency Centre has been greatly demanded and eagerly anticipated since last year. It was incorporated as the wrap-up event of the Save Power Project for the HACC Vietnamese group that I have been working with.
On the 31st of May, I greeted the whole group at the Herbert Greedy Hall at 9 am in the morning. It was a beautiful Friday morning, with clear sky, warm sunshine and chilly breezes. Everyone was excited about this outing, but no one was sure what to expect at the centre. As the eagerness built up, we boarded the bus and officially started our journey.
On the bus, I briefed the group about the purpose of this trip, things we learned before and some general safety information to ensure a joyful, safe and educational field trip. In no time, we were in front of the state-of-the-art Energy Efficiency Centre at Silverwater. The group was warmly welcomed by Rebecca, the coordinator from Ausgrid.
Rebecca gave us a brief introduction and then led everyone into the Energy Efficiency Room. Right at the front of the room, there is a block of coal, which weights exactly 1 ton, representing the main resource for energy generation in Australia. Through previous workshops, the group already knew this fact, but it was still thought provoking seeing a ton of dark colour coal sitting right in front of you. It reminded us of the pollution that it caused.
Meanwhile, the carbon tax was also explained by Rebecca, as concerns of an extra financial burden stirred a heated discussion within the group. The group was interested to find out that carbon tax helped the green energy became more competitive, which was good for the environment and us in the long run. It was good to learn that many households are compensated for the carbon tax and do not end up paying more for the difference in energy price caused by the carbon tax.
Everyone was amazed by the advanced technology demonstrated in the room, including a mobile phone that controlled the home appliances. It was also visually demonstrated how appliances on stand-by mode are still using energy, which really helped lift the myth behind it.
More importantly, there were many interactive devices in the room that allowed the group to feel, see and learn more about energy generation, distribution and usage. It allowed the participants to better understand the relationship between human beings and energy and to explore ways to save energy as well as our environment. In the end, Rebecca passed out the Vietnamese leaflets to the group as a reminder of what we have learned and what we can do.
The trip ended at noon. On our way back to lunch, the group couldn’t help but keep discussing this inspiring experience at the Energy Efficiency Centre. Ms. Trinh Le, the group coordinator, took the opportunity to express the group’s gratitude to the Sustainable Living Project of the Ethnic Communities’ Council for organising this wonderful educational outing. In all, the trip was made special and unforgettable by the dedication of the group.
By Minh Hoang, Vietnamese Environmental Educator