13-metre solar butterfly descends on Scheveningen boulevard
Saturday 25 June, the Municipality of The Hague welcomes the SolarButterfly; a sustainably built tiny house on wheels. This solar butterfly is made from over 800 kg of PET bottles fished out of the ocean and runs entirely on solar energy. With this special object, the international team behind the SolarButterfly would like to draw attention to innovative solutions to combat global climate change. Student researchers from the Mission Zero Centre of Expertise of The Hague University of Applied Sciences will be present to inform and inspire visitors with interactive Climate Talks.
The imposing 13-metre long SolarButterfly with a 10-metre wingspan will travel the world. Tour coordinator Stefan Kratz: "Over the next four years, we want to visit more than 1,000 local projects on six different continents. The first stage is this tour of Europe. It's fantastic to spend a day in Scheveningen together with the Mission Zero Centre of Expertise of The Hague University of Applied Sciences. In a city with many kilometres of coastline in a country that lies largely below sea level, it's important to focus on climate change.
A symbol for much more than solar energy
The international team behind the SolarButterfly consists of engineers, researchers, designers and impact makers. Kratz: "We want to generate a positive butterfly effect with our project; a theory that states that one small-scale action can have a big impact. For example, if you decide to install solar panels on your roof, this may inspire neighbours to install solar panels as well. Your individual action makes a whole neighbourhood take action to make the world a bit cleaner." Kratz explains that the SolarButterfly stands for more than just solar energy. "It's a symbol of all the small actions to combat climate change. Think about buying second-hand and reducing the use of plastic packaging. We want to inspire and excite people to fight climate change. On a large and small scale."
Free workshops and Climate Talks
The SolarButterfly can be admired on Saturday 25 June from 10:00 to 18:00 on the Strandweg in Scheveningen near Biesieklette Keizerstraat. Free workshops and lectures will be held throughout the day. Children can experiment with solar energy during a workshop 'Make Your Own Solar-powered Sea Creature'. Adults will have every opportunity to learn about the world of sustainable energy and renewable raw materials during interactive Climate Talks by student researchers from the Mission Zero Centre of Expertise at The Hague University of Applied Sciences. Visitors can also recharge their own 'battery' in the chill-out zone around the SolarButterfly.
World tour
In May, the SolarButterfly left Lucerne (Switzerland) and is now coming to the Netherlands via Germany. In addition to Scheveningen, it will also visit Utrecht, Amsterdam and Rotterdam, before travelling to Brussels. Here, the team will talk to politicians about the European approach to climate change. Europe is the start of the SolarButterfly's four-year round-the-world journey through North and Central America, Asia, Australia and Africa.