UAE | Environment

Adventurer wants world to embrace solar energy for a brighter future

A Swiss adventurer who is driving around the world in a solar-powered vehicle to highlight the advantages of solar energy is overwhelmed by the encouragement he has received.

  • By Binsal Abdul Kader, Staff Reporter
  • Published: 00:27 September 18, 2007
  • Gulf News

  • Louis Palmer in his solar-powered vehicle in Abu Dhabi. The Swiss adventurer is overwhelmed by the encouragement he received from Gulf countries for his venture.
  • Image Credit: Ahmed Kutty/Gulf News

Abu Dhabi: A Swiss adventurer who is driving around the world in a solar-powered vehicle to highlight the advantages of solar energy is overwhelmed by the encouragement he has received from Gulf countries, the land of oil.

"On the road people greeted and encouraged me even when my solar car created traffic jams," said Louis Palmer, a Swiss adventurer who reached Abu Dhabi yesterday from Saudi Arabia as part of his world tour by a solar taxi.

"You can travel 90 kilometres per hour totally free of cost as sunlight is free and it never affects the environment at all," Palmer said during an exclusive interview with Gulf News.

Disasters

His aim is to eliminate carbon emissions which cause global warming and climate changes. An avid traveller who has visited most parts of the world, Palmer wanted a solution to environmental disasters witnessed everywhere.

"I found drought in the US, Australia, Malawi and Afghanistan; flood in Argentina and no more snow in Switzerland. Everywhere the temperature has increased due to global warming and climate change"

He made the solar-powered car in cooperation with four Swiss technical universities and ten private companies as a solution to global warming and climate change.

"Even though fuel like LPG and CNG have been popularised as alternative energy sources, they reduce the carbon emissions by 25 per cent only. Solar energy is the only source which assures zero pollution."

In 1986 when he was 14, he dreamed of purchasing a solar car because he thought everybody would be driving a solar car after 20 years.

"But it is disappointing to see that although number of cars has been doubled, world never opted the alternative energy resources to minimise the pollution," said Palmer. "So I was determined to show the world one can travel by a solar car all over the world," he said.

"The world has wrong priorities now. Our energy and resources are wasted for wrong purposes. We may wake up when a major disaster happens, but it may be too late then. Our future generations will ask us what you did to contain global warming. I am just responding to it."

Experience: 'Do not give up in the face of challenges'

Louis Palmer, the Swiss adventurer, has learnt one important life lesson while travelling around the world - that one should never give up. His experience during his travels to more than 50 countries has taught him how to overcome obstacles.

"Several times you may feel like giving up. While travelling across Africa by bicycle, I was attacked by animals several times. I thought of stopping the journey every time. But each time support came from unexpected quarters. Those experiences have taught me not to give up while attempting to accomplish something in life," said Palmer.


Your comments


I salute this person for spreading awareness around the world. I would be pleased to accompany him in this great journey.
George
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: September 18, 2007, 09:33

It is a sad world we live in where countries are testing nuclear missiles and other superbombs and not caring about its effect on the environment. I hope that the world wakes up to this.
KJ
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: September 18, 2007, 08:45

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