The day is riveting in its sunshine, and the nine peaks of Kowloon are etched against the haze. Deep in a courtyard of the King George V School in Ho Man Tin, 190 schoolchildren and their parents have discovered a thirst for speed. As the early morning shadow retreats, teams from 17 primary and secondary schools unleash vehicles with names like Sun Storm and Wind Rider.
Made from plastic noodle containers, bottle caps and other recyclables, the tiny race cars are powered by miniature solar panels. Some spin out of control and crash while others zoom towards the finish line. Overall winners are two girls and a boy from the Chang Pui Cheung Memorial School, who proudly display their car - named CPC 1 - to a cable television camera crew.
Behind this simple contest lies a saga. Its organisers represent Hong Kong's tiny lobby for solar power, comprising academics, activists, and a handful of manufacturers. They have been arguing for years that Hong Kong should open up the market for solar power, as a brake to air pollution. Joseph Tam, general manager of Windsun Technology, whose company supplied the motors and solar panels for the competition, was checking in participants. Josie Close, a long-time proponent of solar power, helped judge a design contest. Paul Breen, of the Hong Kong Photovoltaic Consortium, was an observer. Thierry Chan and Jo Clarke, of independent think-tank Civic Exchange, helped log times and distribute prizes. 'I hope this will inspire you to seek out clean and renewable energy for your own needs,' Ms Clarke said at the start of the race. 'What kind of car would you like to buy in the future? Hopefully one that is solar or hydrogen powered.'
Like members of a cult, Hong Kong's solar advocates until recently have been long on faith, short on practical results. Solar power remains 10 times more expensive than electricity from conventional fossil fuel sources, and Hong Kong's two power utilities prohibit use of alternative electricity sources except for emergencies. Thus, the market for photovoltaic panels or solar cells has been limited to experimental government projects, and Hong Kong buys less than 1 per cent of Windsun's products. A 2002 consulting study for the government estimated that Hong Kong's potential for solar power generation was as much as 5.9 gigawatts annually, 16 per cent of its needs. But it found that practical impediments would preclude obtaining more than a fraction of Hong Kong's energy from renewable sources, including wind power and energy from waste. The study estimated that by 2022 renewable energy might supply 4.3 per cent of power needs.
Problems include large space requirements for solar power and inappropriate building design, yet Hong Kong's solar age could still dawn as part of an effort to keep up with the mainland. Under a draft law, due to be enacted next year, China will force utilities to buy renewable energy and make consumers share the costs. The Hong Kong government also is looking for ways to integrate renewables into its energy policy.
Is the fuss worth it? The activists have an answer. They look down a time tunnel to an era when fossil fuel prices will be prohibitive, and the planet faces supply and pricing shocks that make the oil crises of the 1970s seem trivial. Hong Kong's children need to be ready for the trauma, by learning to look at energy as an issue of choice and responsibility, not a right. And so the faithful stage competitions in schools and encourage the next generation to think creatively about the relationships between energy, waste and the environment. It may seem quixotic, but we should be grateful. One day child's play could be deadly serious.
