The sun might have played peek-a-boo for most of the day but it was the topic of discussion in some city schools here on Wednesday, with the ‘Green Energy Virumbuvom' campaign vehicle popularising renewable energy as the futuristic energy source among Generation Next.
A joint initiative of the Tamil Nadu Energy Development Agency (TEDA) and Rotary International, the campaign aims at promoting and propagating renewable energy sources like solar, hydroelectric, wind and biomass energy among an average of 25 schools in every district in the state.
In the first leg of the programme in Tiruchi, students got a firsthand understanding of how solar heaters, cooking stoves, street lamps and hurricane lamps work. The energy is not only renewable but clean and hence ‘green', was the take-home message.
The state wide operation is manned by Rotary International Districts Rotary districts- 3000, 3212, 3201, and 2980.
On Wednesday, the van halted at Cauvery Matriculation School, St.Joan of Arc school, The Boys Higher Secondary School, Srirangam and Amritha Vidyalaya.
To boost awareness and adoption of renewable energy, various competitions are being held in all districts, involving around 500 students in each district, said Gopinath, co-chairman.
While collage and drawing contests are held for students in the junior category (class VI – VIII), elocution and essay writing contests are conducted for senior category (class IX- XII).
Students could mull over various questions like , ‘Why is renewable energy green', ‘the future of renewable energy', ‘saving mother earth through green energy' and ‘the energy that would brighten India by 20201- solar, wind or bio energy'.
The zonal finals would be held in Karur and state finals in Tiruchi, according to S.Gopal, Chairman, Renewable and alternate energy promotion committee.
In another green measure, all communication for the state-wide campaign was paperless, he added.
