'Green grand prix' to promote eco-friendly transport in fun way

Victoria Vaughan Straits Times 28 May 10;

FORMULA One (F1) cars win the race when it comes to speed, but each litre of petrol takes them only as far as 1km.

Their emissions also fail just about every standard that has been implemented.

Throw in the much-hyped, 130-decibel roar of their engines and the inescapable conclusion is that F1 is not a terribly eco-friendly sport.

But a new event this year seeks to introduce race fans to green transport via a series of eco-car races, timed to take place five days before the Grand Prix here.

Cheekily called G1, short for Singapore Green One, the event will introduce the soapbox race, popular in the United States, to the region.

Drivers will build their cars from a kit comprising recycled plastic and wood, take it to the top of a ramp and zip down a 100m track.

The fuel of choice: gravity.

The event, organised by the Singapore Environment Council (SEC), will take place near the Marina Bay floating pontoon, where Turns 17 and 18 of the annual F1 race are.

Mr Peter Ho of engineering company Hope Technik, which will provide technical support during the race, explained that the maximum allowable weight of car and driver will be 100kg, and the top speed will be 30kmh.

The cars will set off in pairs down the ramp, and 30 finalists from schools and other interested organisations are expected to take part.

A separate race will be held for eight to 10 eco cars built by student teams from the universities and polytechnics.

Their challenge is to build a car that can go as many times as possible round a 0.5km track - on just 30cc of fuel.

The eco car holding the world record travelled more than 3,000km on one litre of fuel.

Mr Howard Shaw, SEC's executive director, said: 'We've heard so much about climate-change doom and gloom and we've been prescriptive in saying what people need to do - such as turning out lights - but we want this event to inspire people and win their hearts.'

Besides these races, the G1 will feature buggy and trishaw races as well as walking, skating and cycling events, for which prizes will be given out.

Transport accounts for about one-fifth of Singapore's total carbon emissions of just over 40 million tonnes; it will be an area to tackle if emissions here are to be trimmed by the targeted 16 per cent from business-as-usual levels by 2020, noted Mr Shaw.

Ms Toh Lay Hoon, general manager of North West Community Development Council (CDC), which is supporting the event, said: 'Green issues are seen as highbrow and academic by ordinary Singaporeans, but we want them to understand that they can be adrenaline-pumping and fun.'

The $500,000 cost of the event will be sponsored by the Land Transport Authority, Singapore GP and the CDC.

The SEC hopes to make the G1 an annual event and invite foreign race participants next year. A website, at www.singaporeG1.com, will be up and running soon.

Green gets the fast track
Singapore Environment Council organising first G1 race in lead up to Formula 1
by Ng Jing Yng Today Online 28 May 10;

SINGAPORE - Come September, it will not only be high-powered Formula 1 cars competing against one another at the Marina Bay racing circuit.

In the first race of its kind in Asia, green cars will also be tearing up the track, with the aim of promoting the use of green energy.

The Singapore Green One (Singapore G1) race - organised by the Singapore Environment Council (SEC) - will feature cars assembled by students and will take place on Sept 19, the weekend before the SingTel Singapore Grand Prix begins.

The Soap Box car race, a highly popular game in the United States, involves gravity as the propelling force for the vehicle.

About 30 groups of students will make their own racing cars out of recyclable materials such as pine wood in school. They will then be taken to the tracks where they will be pitted against each other.

Besides schools, the community can get involved with activities such as a buggy race, road shows and performances. Other green modes of transport are featured in skating and trishaw competitions.

Ms Toh Lay Hoon, general manager of North West Community Development Council, said that most people see going green as something "highbrow", and she hopes that this event will help them to see it as being fun instead.

SEC executive director Howard Shaw said the council hopes the event will provide a push for people to use public transport.

"There's still the perception that public transport is inconvenient and, for car-users, it is very hard to break out of the mould, " he said.

Singapore plans to cut carbon emissions levels in 2020 by 16 per cent. Currently, the transport sector here accounts for 20 per cent of emissions.