Gelsenkirchen, May 10, 2004
Today at 10:30 a.m. the starting signal for the Climate Relay 2004/NRW was given at the Shell Solar Factory in Gelsenkirchen in the presence of Lord Mayor Oliver Wittke. About 400 participants got on their bicycles as part of this nationwide campaign for the World Summit for Renewable Energies "Renewables 2004". The relay was led by State Environment Minister Bärbel Höhn, who also experienced a world premiere up close: she was the first to ride an electric bicycle with fuel cell drive from Masterflex AG in Gelsenkirchen.
Compared to conventional battery-powered electric bicycles, this bike has five times the range of 120 km at a comparable weight. Electricity is generated with just 45 grams of hydrogen, which is contained in a cartridge under the luggage rack, and oxygen, which is extracted from the air. This environmentally friendly process produces only pure water as a "waste product".
The climatic relay is continued until at the beginning of of June country widely. On today's Monday at 15:00 o'clock the baton is handed over at the city border to the mayor of Gladbeck. The climate relay will be carried out in Gelsenkirchen as a bicycle parade (approx. 28 km).
carried out. Selected "solar stations" will be approached.
21 "light bearers" will lead the bicycle parade and present the sunny sides of Gelsenkirchen.