An unlikely but highly effective power source is being used Japan, just in time for the holidays. Electric eels.
The Enoshima Aquarium have been using the eels – each producing 800 watts of energy every time they move – to power their Christmas tree. It all kicked off in 1998 when the eels were used as part of the display.
This year, the aquarium has kicked it into high gear and now have a singing and dancing (fake) Santa, lights and trees powered by the eels. Visitors can also have a go at trying to generate power through kinetic energy by marching on a mat.
Imagine the sorts of things that eels could power- not just for the novelty value at Christmas!
(Spotted on Gizmodo)
Katherine Hui is currently the Social site editor at Green Thing, a web-based public service in London that inspires people to lead greener lives through creative content.
Before this, she worked as the Development Manager at Social Innovation Camp, an organization that encourages people to use web and mobile-based technology to mobilise social change. She oversaw 300 ideas submission and helped build 20 prototypes – five of which have gone on to get further funding or investment.
Katherine’s came over to the UK form Canada in 2007 for an MSc program at the London School of Economics. Before arriving in London, she managed a small environmental start-up in Vancouver called the Canadian Climate Change Alliance.
Katherine is football mad. She is a loyal supporter of Arsenal FC, plays for Islington Borough Ladies FC and coaches for Gunners in Islington in her spare time. Her second favourite hobby is kite surfing and she can sometimes be found chasing the wind.
