Agnes Krocha
We complain that are streets are dirty but we don’t realize we are the ones dirtying it. With the festive season here many complain when the lights go out and there is load shedding. It’s interesting to note that usually the ones who complain the most are the very ones who are doing the least about reducing energy consumption when the lights are on.
Switching on the television one evening I happen to see the European Music Awards being broadcasted in one of the music channels. Justin Timberlake was hosting it and after a certain interval of time, Cameron Diaz appeared on the screen for a few seconds giving a few tips on how to conserve energy. The rich nations of the world, rich because of more amount of energy they have, are so much concerned now about conserving the environment and rightly so. This should make every sensible person think how much more citizens of poor nations like us should try to conserve energy since we have it in lesser amount than the rich nations of the world. And more importantly we should know that we have no right to complain when the lights go out at night because we are not doing our bit to conserve it while we have it.
Doing simple things can save energy and money. Before we start to complain when the lights go out why don’t we first follow some simple basics? It’ll help us not only to conserve energy but also help us to complain less. Well, here we go:
• Unplug seldom-used electrical appliances like extra refrigerators.
• Unplug your chargers when you are not charging.
• Every house is full of little plastic power supplies to charge cell phones, PDA’s, digital cameras, cordless tools and other personal gadgets. Keep them unplugged until you need them.
• Use power strips to switch off televisions, home theater equipment, and stereos when you’re not using them. Even when you think these products are off, together, their “standby” consumption can be equivalent to that of a 75 or 100 watt light bulb running continuously.
• Set Computers to Sleep and Hibernate: Enable the “sleep mode” feature on your computer, allowing it to use less power during periods of inactivity. In Windows, the power management settings are found on your control panel.
• Configure your computer to “hibernate” automatically after 30 minutes or so of inactivity. The “hibernate mode” turns the computer off in a way that doesn’t require you to reload everything when you switch it back on. Allowing your computer to hibernate saves energy and is more time-efficient than shutting down and restarting your computer from scratch.
• Use sunlight wisely. Leave shades and blinds open on sunny days, but close them at night to reduce the amount of heat lost through windows.
• A clothesline is the most energy-efficient clothes dryer of all! Air-drying, if you have the time, can reduce energy use.
• Turn Out the Lights: Don’t forget to flick the switch when you leave a room.
• Remember this at the office: Turn out or dim the lights in unused conference rooms, and when you step out for lunch. Work by daylight when possible. A typical commercial building uses more energy for lighting than anything else.
(The writer has done M.Sc (Environmental Science and Technology) and B.Ed. She also writes and teaches science in a High School)
aggiekrocha@gmail.com
