Czech Kindergarten Gets Solar Panels

["greenbase" <greenbas@gb.greenpeace.org>]

PROJECT PHOENIX BRINGS THE FIRST CONCRETE RESULTS - HEATING FOR
KINDERGARTEN CHILDREN WILL COME FROM THE SUN

Karlovice (Czech Republic), February 12, 1998 - Greenpeace
activists today unveiled the solar panels in a local
kindergarten in Karlovice near Bruntal with a large banner. The
kindergarten was damaged by last year's flooding.

The refurbished kindergarten is the first concrete result of the
Phoenix project, which represents Greenpeace's contribution to
the restoration of Moravia after the floods. "From today water
for the kids will be heated by the sun," said the coordinator of
Greenpeace's climate campaigner Ing. Tomas Nenicka. "All of us
should realize that the era of fossil fuels like coal, oil, and
gas is definitely at the end. We are entering the millennium in
which all humanity will go to alternative sources of energy."

Karlovice is a small town of 1210 inhabitants today and it's
located near river Opava. "The floods reached in on the morning
of July 7. We were cut off from civilization for a whole week."
reflects Milan Glombicek, Karlovice magistrate. "Only a
helicopter was capable of getting here. The kindergarten was
actually one of the first buildings we had to evacuate." In
total, 17 buildings in the town were completely destroyed, and
several tens were seriously damaged. The waters rose to the
level of the kindergarten's windows. That's why the town
authorities decided to completely renovate the school, and
include a new roof and a comprehensive heating system.

The Slovak company Thermo-Solar Ziar made a noble gesture. It
decided to respond to Greenpeace's appeal by supporting the
Phoenix project with modern solar technology.

"In fact we have already been producing solar panels for the
whole of Central Europe. We decided to donate our panels free to
Karlovice kindergarten because we wanted to support people
suffering as a result of the floods," Ing. Novak, Thermo-Solar
Ziar company director explained at today's handing-over
ceremony. "We are convinced that the third millennium will be
the millennium of solar energy."

"We feel really enthusiastic about the solar equipment here,"
magistrate Glombicek says "The temperature outside several days
ago was minus 19 degrees while we were doing working tests.
Nevertheless, water in a container was heated to fifty degrees
shortly after midday. Therefore we are now thinking about
further installations."

"It is the very first building to be renovated after last year's
floods so as to be able to use the sun's energy. It was the
first offspring of the Phoenix project," Tomas Nenicka
commented, and he added that Greenpeace will continue with its
plan to rebuild Moravia while respecting the environment."

The Phoenix project was begun immediately after last year's
floods. Its aim is to help with the rebuilding of damaged towns
and to reconstruct the in a way which will be more in accordance
with the style of the third millennium. This refers mainly to
energy conservation and moving from fossil fuels to renewable
energy sources. The Phoenix project was officially supported by
the Office of the President of the Czech Republic.

It was exactly two months ago, in Kyoto, Japan, that the
developed industrial countries committed themselves to
decreasing their emissions of greenhouse gases. "This is a
contribution to save the climate on the most basic level,"
Nenicka stressed. "It is not only by chance that "the first
offspring" is the kindergarten. Climatic protection through
energy conservation is precisely the thing we should be doing
for our kids right now. Because the current generation may
already experience the drastic effects of changes to the
climate."

Climatic changes also mean a greater frequency of extreme swings
in weather conditions. This means particularly dry weather,
hurricanes, and floods. The first portent might be just the one
which damaged Karlovice kindergarten last year."The vicious
circle ends right here," Ing. Nenicka reminded us. "We are
saving energy and protecting the climate in order to prevent
floods like last year's happening in the future. "

-end-

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