Greenpeace Africa Enables Solar Powered World Cup Viewing Area

June 17, 2010 (ENS) – In World Cup soccer Wednesday, Uruguay won 3-0 over South Africa's beloved Bafana Bafana team, imperiling the hosts' chances of advancing to the second round. No host nation in the past 18 World Cups has been eliminated in the first round, a prospect that South Africa now faces.

But for the residents of Jericho, a village near Johannesburg, Wednesday's match was a win-win situation. They viewed the game at a new solar-powered public viewing area equipped by Greenpeace and constructed by local youth.

A large-screen TV powered by the Sun was placed in the Jericho community hall. The entire set up is powered by solar panels and generators erected by schoolchildren, who were trained by Greenpeace for the task.

Greenpeace Africa kicked off this Thangkollo ya Solar (Solar Kick Off) project to demonstrate the potential of renewable energy sources in South Africa.

"What the Jericho project shows is that South Africa doesn't have to rely on outdated methods to literally empower its people. The country has some of the best renewable energy sources in the world in the form of sun and wind," said Nkopane Maphiri, Greenpeace Africa's climate campaigner.
"We want to make sure that South Africa doesn't commit a home goal by not taking advantage of its renewable energy resources," said Maphiri.

Source: Environmental News Service:
http://www.ens-newswire.com/

LINK :
2010 Fifa World Cup