Pedal power for Energy Saving Day

For the second year running many residents in Barga took part in Energy Saving Day (last years event can be seen here) At Aristo’s bar a rigorously acoustic only concert was put on just like last year but unlike last years candle lit affair they had this year put a new slant to the energy saving idea -- Pedal power.
A team of cyclists took turns to mount and pedal a fixed bike connected up a a number of dynamos which supplied, faltering at times, a light source to keep everybody in sight.

Check out the images below and you might just spot the Mayor of Barga Umberto Sereni first off on the bike, followed by various Lake Angels and regulars of Aristo’s bar, a 30 minute stint by Monia Bernardi and last but not least -- the barber of Barga, Antonio Chiappa (article here) who arrived wearing the cycle gear of at least two generation ago. The music was provided by two generations of the Rizzardi family- Alessandro on mandolin and his father Jack on flute, Giuliano Nardi on accordian, Geoff from Jack’s Pack on guitar and the newly arrived bagpipes maker Hammish Moore playing one of his Scottish Small Pipes

What is Energy Saving Day
Energy Saving Day is an annual Italian communication campaign dedicated to saving energy that was launched on February 16th , 2005. Energy Saving Day is sponsored by the Ministry of the Environment, Protection of Land and Sea, and the Ministry of Agricultural since its third edition on February 16th , 2007.

Why on February 16th ?
On the 16th of February, 2005 the Kyoto Protocol, aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions from developed nations, came into force.

Who started the Energy Saving Day?
The initiative was first launched by Caterpillar, a popular and successful live radio program which reaches more than a million listeners per day. Caterpillar is broadcast by Radio2, the entertaining channel of RAI, the Italian Public Service Broadcaster. The Caterpillar site is here

What is Energy Saving Day about?
The day’s philosophy is to convince as many people as possible to be dedicated to saving energy. It is asked that everybody reduce to the minimum of their own private energy use during the show’s airtime from 6:00-7:30pm. By doing this the maximum visibility in the media and the largest participation by common people are concentrated on Energy Saving Day.

The most visible effect is created by the “energy silence” which consists in the symbolic turning-off of most important monuments and the main Italian city squares.
Institutions, general public, companies, shop-owners, schools, restaurants, gyms and any other kind of association will be participating in their own peculiar way: i.e. turning off shop window sign, computers or electronic equipment in laboratories, organizing candlelight dinners and so on.

Pedal powered washing machine here | Pedal powered Laptop computer here | Pedal powered vaccum cleaner here | Stationary Bike Power Generator here

Anche Barga parteciperà all’iniziativa nazionale “Mi illumino di meno”, lanciata oramai da diversi anni dalla trasmissione di Radio 2 “Caterpillar” per sensibilizzare l’opinione pubblica sul tema del risparmio energetico, spegnendo simbolicamente per più di un’ora le luci di piazze, monumenti, strade, ufficio ed abitazioni; manifestazione quest’anno prevista per venerdì pomeriggio.
A promuovere la partecipazione barghigiana ci hanno pensato l’associazione Lake Angels, il portale barganews.com, BargaJazz e l’antica bottega di mescita di Aristodemo Casciani di piazza del Comune, teatro della manifestazione.
Dalle 18 alle 19,30 verranno spente le luci del locale che sarà illuminato solamente da candele e dalle luci di una vecchia dinamo installata su una bicicletta anni ’50 ripescata in una discarica e riadattata per l’occasione. A pedalare per produrre energia pulita sarà una squadra formata perlopiù da ragazze che praticano lo spinning. Ci sarà poi un concerto di musica strumentale, senza l’ausilio della corrente insomma, alla quale penseranno un gruppo di artisti locali ed i jazzisti di BargaJazz. Tra i musicisti presenti anche l’artista/artigiano scozzese Hamish Moore, da poco insediatosi a Barga con la sua bottega dove produce delle small pipes bagpipe con le quali suonerà per l’occasione.
L’iniziativa è nata per far riflette sul dispendio energetico e sul fatto che a volte bastano pochi accorgimenti per consumare di meno.
Con “Mi illumino di meno”, a livello nazionale nella passata edizione, solamente nei primi 5 minuti dell’iniziativa, sono stati risparmiati 300 Megawatt. -- Luca Galeotti -- Corriere di Lucca ed al Tirreno.