Edinburgh International Science Festival comes to Ocean Terminal this Easter with a series of drop in activities and workshops for all the family. From making and testing a wind turbine to riding a bicycle simulator, there are lots of environmentally friendly things to get involved with.
The Wind Power workshop encourages children to think about the importance of wind power around the world, and in Scotland specifically. It is a drop in workshop, facilitated by science communicators from the Science Festival, during which children can design and build their own wind turbine, and then test its effectiveness in a small wind tunnel.
Children can choose the size and shape of the blades for their turbine and can place it in different positions on the hill inside the wind tunnel to see if it performs differently. They can find out how wind turbines work and how they generate electricity, what happens when the wind blows is really strong and what happens when there is no wind at all.
Six-year-old Grace Jones at Ocean Terminal at Edinburgh.
Shoppers can quickly engage with On Standby. This is an eye-catching and simple activity that increases awareness of how much electricity is used by appliances on standby. Shoppers will be encouraged to switch on and off common household appliances represented on the panel and see how much the electricity levels change.
Visitors are also encouraged to try out the Future’s Bright Easy Rider bike simulator to see how much energy they would use cycling home from school or work. The activity will compare how far a person walking and a car driving would have travelled with the same amount of energy, thus demonstrating how energy efficient cycling and walking are compared to driving.
Can you go the distance? Is a fun and interactive driving simulator which demonstrates how to drive more efficiently to save fuel and is provided by The Energy Saving Trust. The Greener Scotland Directorate of the Scottish Government has been a generous supporter of Edinburgh International Science Festival for three years. This year they are working with the Science Festival to promote Natural Scotland and their “Let’s Go Greener Together” campaign and are keen to see whether taking part in these type of activities can make a positive difference to people’s green behaviour.
The Edinburgh International Science Festival runs until Sunday 15 April. Full details of the programme and all tickets can be found at www.sciencefestival.co.uk. Tickets can also be purchased by phone through the Science Festival Box Office on 0844 557 2686 or in person at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival shop, 180 High Street, Edinburgh (open 10.30am – 5.30pm Monday to Friday, 11.00am to 5.30pm Saturday).
