We are in an age when the population is growing exponentially. Correspondingly, the natural resources of the earth are being consumed at a record rate. More humans consume more, directly and indirectly. A component of this increased consumption is the greater use of electricity. Most of the electricity, at the moment, is generated by the production of heat from the burning of non-replenishable deposits of oil and coal.
One component of the consumption of electricity is the production of light. It is now a case of “Let there be light – flick- and there is light.”
Much of the world now uses light bulbs and light tubes with gay abandon, and Australia is no exception. We complain about the dwindling of natural resources, and we complain about the effects of greenhouse gasses including serious climate changes. We complain, and we run scared for future generations of humans and many other species, but we quite often fail to take elementary steps to ease the situation.
Many Aussies now are conscious of the electricity consumption ratings that are exhibited on household appliances, and are conscious that energy-saving light bulbs are a way to use less electricity per unit light fitting. However, we treat these devices in the way that we treat low-alcohol beer, whereby we allow ourselves to drink more to get to the same point of intoxication. We thus see the low-energy light bulb as a licence to use more light bulbs, to use more light bulbs at the same time. We also see it as a licence to leave unoccupied rooms brightly lit by these frugal inventions. We should be developing habits of personal light bulb parsimony. Further, we should be developing a culture, even a global culture (no pun intended) in which an important value is the conservation of electricity. If a light or other appliance is not in immediate use, switch it off.
The youth of today does not know what it is to enjoy darkness. At any hour of the night, even if their residence has no electric bulbs illuminated, the residence is not in darkness. Irrespective of the phase of the moon, no light needs to be switched on in order to walk comfortably about. The light of the city envelops all. Outside in the streets, the place is in semi-daylight because of all the lights that are left on, including street lights that are almost totally unnecessary.
Nowadays, though, we are not the only citizens. We now have “corporate citizens.” It tends to be forgotten, though, that these corporate citizens are incapable of flicking a light switch or even seeing where a light switch is. These things are done by ordinary citizens, ordinary people like you and me. The actions of corporate citizens are, in the final analysis, the actions of living, breathing human beings.
However, corporate citizens differ from ordinary citizens in that they comprise many ordinary individuals and quite often have a sub-culture that differs in various ways from the broader culture in which it is imbedded, either wholly or partly. Many of these corporate citizens have head offices that occupy whole sky-scraper buildings or significant portions of them. In many ways, they mirror the strengths and frailties of their individual human members. They can be forgetful, wasteful, “egotistic” and arrogant.
When one visits a major central business district such as that of Sydney, one is struck by the glow of the place. There are lots of very tall and very large buildings, most of which are lit up at night like some sort of childhood-dream fairyland. The workers who populated them during the day, have all departed for home or drinking tavern, and only a handful of shift-working cleaners remain within their glowing intestines. Whole acres of their surfaces are alight and sending out their signals for all to see for many miles (or kilometres, if you are up with the times.) They shout out to the world, “Look at me. Aren’t I gorgeous; aren’t I just the most beautiful and attractive corporate citizen that you ever laid your lustful eyes upon! My architect was Little Lord Fauntelroy. Do you like my lights?”
Just think of the amount of electricity that could be saved if all companies mandated that their unused lights should be switched to darkness.
One component of the consumption of electricity is the production of light. It is now a case of “Let there be light – flick- and there is light.”
Much of the world now uses light bulbs and light tubes with gay abandon, and Australia is no exception. We complain about the dwindling of natural resources, and we complain about the effects of greenhouse gasses including serious climate changes. We complain, and we run scared for future generations of humans and many other species, but we quite often fail to take elementary steps to ease the situation.
Many Aussies now are conscious of the electricity consumption ratings that are exhibited on household appliances, and are conscious that energy-saving light bulbs are a way to use less electricity per unit light fitting. However, we treat these devices in the way that we treat low-alcohol beer, whereby we allow ourselves to drink more to get to the same point of intoxication. We thus see the low-energy light bulb as a licence to use more light bulbs, to use more light bulbs at the same time. We also see it as a licence to leave unoccupied rooms brightly lit by these frugal inventions. We should be developing habits of personal light bulb parsimony. Further, we should be developing a culture, even a global culture (no pun intended) in which an important value is the conservation of electricity. If a light or other appliance is not in immediate use, switch it off.
The youth of today does not know what it is to enjoy darkness. At any hour of the night, even if their residence has no electric bulbs illuminated, the residence is not in darkness. Irrespective of the phase of the moon, no light needs to be switched on in order to walk comfortably about. The light of the city envelops all. Outside in the streets, the place is in semi-daylight because of all the lights that are left on, including street lights that are almost totally unnecessary.
Nowadays, though, we are not the only citizens. We now have “corporate citizens.” It tends to be forgotten, though, that these corporate citizens are incapable of flicking a light switch or even seeing where a light switch is. These things are done by ordinary citizens, ordinary people like you and me. The actions of corporate citizens are, in the final analysis, the actions of living, breathing human beings.
However, corporate citizens differ from ordinary citizens in that they comprise many ordinary individuals and quite often have a sub-culture that differs in various ways from the broader culture in which it is imbedded, either wholly or partly. Many of these corporate citizens have head offices that occupy whole sky-scraper buildings or significant portions of them. In many ways, they mirror the strengths and frailties of their individual human members. They can be forgetful, wasteful, “egotistic” and arrogant.
When one visits a major central business district such as that of Sydney, one is struck by the glow of the place. There are lots of very tall and very large buildings, most of which are lit up at night like some sort of childhood-dream fairyland. The workers who populated them during the day, have all departed for home or drinking tavern, and only a handful of shift-working cleaners remain within their glowing intestines. Whole acres of their surfaces are alight and sending out their signals for all to see for many miles (or kilometres, if you are up with the times.) They shout out to the world, “Look at me. Aren’t I gorgeous; aren’t I just the most beautiful and attractive corporate citizen that you ever laid your lustful eyes upon! My architect was Little Lord Fauntelroy. Do you like my lights?”
Just think of the amount of electricity that could be saved if all companies mandated that their unused lights should be switched to darkness.
Crankyfella
2 comments:
Dear Crankyfella, The problema, at least as I see it, is that electricity conservation has been placed in the hands of the people who produce electricity. These people are only interested in selling more electricity so as to generate more revenue. In the ACT restrictions have been placed on water consumption, so what did the wonderful government there do, they increased the price of water so that, their revenue would not decrease.
As for low energy light bulbs they are a dreadful blight on the environment, because they contain mercury. Unless we have special places where these bulbs can be destroyed and the mercury recovered, then the mercury will end up in landfill where they will cause far more damage than the old bulbs. Further these so called low energy bulbs are almost useless in that they give off no where near the light of old style bulbs.
Low energy bulbs are just another feel good exercise like the so-called recycling of plastics. The plastics are not usually recycled, they are dumped in countries like India. Disgusting!
What you do not realize is that a thermal power station cannot be turned off like a light bulb. It takes a long time to power down. If you switch off the lights the power station still produces electricity, but with the lights off it goes into the ground. You are not saving electricity when you turn off the lights, you are saving your money.
Post a Comment