Is this concern shared, if so spread the word so things can change?

Question

My concern is simple. We are being bombarded everywhere we look and listen about how we are damaging the planet. We are urged to turn off lights, turn of 'standby' to use the bus or walk. However it disgusts me that supermarkets continue to keep their lights on after closing! that high rise buildings have their lights on 24/7! that the same offenders have their computers on 24/7! surely it is logical to assume that if these were switched off as much as possible, costs would decrease, the amount of pollution would decrease, the cooker effect which is London would decrease and it would encourage me for one to be more inclined to switch off my lights if its part of a national effort!!

Answer 1

For me the answer is not to conserve, it's to campaign for the use of cleaner power production.

It's all very well saying don't leave things on standby, don't leave lights on, etc, etc. Heck! Let's just forget all the mod cons that we enjoy as part of being a modern, technologically advanced society and go back to living in caves, shall we?

No, the answer is not to go backwards. The answer is to go forwards.

For example - there's not a snowball's chance in hell that I will turn off my hot water to save energy. I *like* having hot water on tap whenever I want it.

What I *have* done however is install solar panels on my roof that heats my water via the power of the sun.

Thus, I cut down on my energy use *without* giving up on my luxuries.

For me, *that* is the way forward.

Answer 2

Let me let you in on a dirty little secret. Regardless of how much electricity you or I use, the power plants around the U.S. still generate more or less the same amount of electricity. They have to.... the electricity needs to be on the grid when you wake up at 2:00 a.m. and turn on your light to see your way to the bathroom. It isn't like there is a giant battery somewhere to store excess electricity. If it isn't used it is wasted. If you want to reduce the demand on the grid unplug your refrigerator, and stop using other items with motors. Your lights and computers really don't use that much electricity. Likewise, the lights in supermarkets don't use 1/100 th of the amount of electricity that is used in the stores freezers and coolers.

Of the top 50 energy users in the United States, 20 deal with food. (Each of these uses over 1 trillion Btus/year) I guess we could all stop eating food from stores, that would save a lot of electricity.

Answer 3

Yes, the developed world drips with waste and hypocrisy. After all, only 1% of the developed world's GDP would get clean water, food, health care and education for everyone in the world. That said, I will add two things; "Change begins with me" and "my grandchildren will never forgive me if I don't try".

Don't be silent! I believe the world is awakening to the climate crisis and to the fact that a small portion of the world squanders resources while over one billion live on less than 1$ a day. The two are not unrelated.

Answer 4

In order to have it work, everyone needs to conserve energy. I know, at least here in California, stores at least dim their lights at night. I think it makes sense not to have the stores completely dark - because of increased liklihood of theft. I remember when we had huge power shortages a few years ago here in California, EVERYONE was conserving, stores, homes, etc. I remember stores being dimmed during the day, rolling blackouts, etc. I think the sense of urgancy needs to be increased if everyone will participate. However, here is the pessimist in me: some people will never care or try to conserve. It's frustrating, but true. We can't force them to conserve, many have the attitude of "I can afford the pay the bill so I'm going to leave my AC and my lights on 24hrs a day". People face the same problem when working on conservation, like me. I am part of the team workign to save the California condor from extinction, but there are still people out there who think they have the right to shoot the birds, or poison them with lead. It's a imperfect world. :(

Answer 5

I agree...and another similar problem is the amount of food that places like McDonald's waste every single day! It's a disgrace, and it sickens me to think that because of their pathetic policies, good food has to be wasted, whilst people on the streets are starving! I went through the drive thru last week and I was given a Happy Meal for my son with fries, when I'd ordered a fruit bag...so rather than even offering us to keep the fries anyway, the guy just through them in the bin. I was horrified.

It's the big companies who are always guilty of these things...but it's little ol' me who gets made to feel guilty for boiling too much water in the kettle.

Answer 6

I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU ONE HUNDRED PERCENT, SUPERMARKETS HERE IN NORTHERN IRELAND STILL USE PLASTIC BAGS WHICH TOTALLY AND UTTERLY MAKES ME SICK AS I USE BAGS THAT I BOUGHT SO I COULD REUSE THEM AND THEY WILL LAST ALONG TIME. YOU SAY ABOUT THE LARGE COMPANIES USING LIGHTS 24/7 AND COMPUTERS ON STANDBY YES I AGREE WITH YOU THAT THIS SHOULD NOT BE BUT I ALSO THINK THAT IF WE ALL DO OUR BIT EVEN PUTTING THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF WATER IN THE KETTLE IT STILL HELPS. I AM VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS SUBJECT AND BELIEVE THAT IF ALL FAMILIES AND BUSINESSES PULL THEIR WEIGHT THIS SITUATION CAN BE SORTED, HOWEVER THE LARGER COMPANIES SHOULD BE MADE PAY A SUBSTANTIAL FINE FOR LEAVING LIGHTS ON COMPUTERS ON STANDBY AND THROWING AWAY PERFECTLY GOOD FOOD. THE GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO TARGET THESE COMPANIES FIRST BECAUSE THE ORDINARY PERSON COULDN'T AFFORD TO PAY A HEFTY FINE NOR COULD SMALLER BUSINESSES.

GREAT QUESTION 10 OUTTA 10

Answer 7

I agree; and some of the worst offenders are government buildings. The message should be shown to have been received from the top down.

Answer 8

i agree with you fully, but i think its an attempt by the government to try and make us believe that the common people are able to make a difference just to take the emphasis away from the real culprits who waste energy - business. Many countries have signed the Kyoto Protocol to cut emission and deal with the greenhouse effect and guess who has not signed - America, the biggest culprit of the lot, they are getting away with polluting the earth and causes irreversable damage. They are all hypocrictical a*@#holes!

Answer 9

Excellent question. I cannot see why the above cannot turn off their lights, computers etc unless they need to use them 24/7. For example, Police, Hospitals, Motorways.

Answer 10

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