SOLAR-POWERED BARGE

I recently spent a few hours in Carcassonne talking to Dominique Renouf of Naviratous. She is the remarkable woman behind the first solar-powered barge in the world - the "Soleil d'Oc" - which is scheduled to ply the waters of the Canal du Midi from next July. The only problem is that her company has run into severe financial difficulties ... which is not unusual for innovative concerns at the pointy end of technology. But instead of being due to purely technical problems hers are of a human nature: the solar technology works perfectly and the barge moves through the water as silent as a swan leaving just a swirl in the water and zero pollution, zero carbon emissions and zero noise.

No, her problem stems from the fact that her barge is open to all: handicapped people included (as stipulated by a French law passed in February 2005). Hold on to your seat and continue reading: a number of original investors (some of them French Public bodies) have since desisted from the project and withdrawn their subsidies because Dominique made too much of the fact that the craft was open to - and welcomed - handicapped customers! One of them actually said that with all these invalids around 'normal people' would be scared off! As a result of this gross discrimination a critical number of investors pulled out of the project and the company has gone into liquidation.

The barge has been built and is now in Carcassonne after an epic voyage from Belgium in mid-winter - on solar power. But it still needs to be fitted out and made shipshape for up to 12 guests to cruise the canal in comfort. A financial 'white knight' has been found who will take over much of the company's debt IF Dominique and her association 'CROISIERES POUR TOUS' (charitable society called 'CRUISES FOR ALL') can raise the remaining 130,000 euros. She has until May 31st.
If you are interested in helping out then you should contact her immediately: ordinary membership of the association costs 30 euro per year, 'honour' membership is priced at 200 euros and she'll even sell shares of the company to people willing to invest even more. « Croisières pour tous » - tél. : +33 6 88 40 76 21 adress: 4 impasse du Calvaire 11 590 Salléles email: mariniere_2000@yahoo.fr
This is not just a question of saving an important ecological experiment: it's also about fighting preconceived and ill-informed prejudices about the handicapped.