Will just going “Green” and using enviroment-friendly fuels solve the world’s energy crisis and save Earth???
Recently, there has been so much talk about using bio-fuels and using products which are “green” or enviroment-friendly. We hope that by taking these measures we “will” in a way stop or control many of the pollution problems of this world. But I am not so hopeful. The reason being I have seen people congratulating or even bragging themselves/others on using Florescent bulbs which are energy-efficient. But they leave scores of rooms flooded with lights with hardly anyone in there.Wouldn’t turning off the lights when unusable solve the problem???
Another case being how we are polluting the enviroment by releasing toxic gases, leading to Global Warming and stuff. What did we do? We used Biofuels, Hydrogen, electricity etc to power our vehicles but wouldn’t give up the love of driving SUV’s or using the car pool system while going to home or office.
Did you see the double standards we are employing when it comes to the world at large and “ourselves”???
We are not seeking to ’save the Earth’ by living a green lifestyle, but to minimize disruption caused by the negative effects of climate change to mankind. I do not believe we can stop global warming, but perhaps slow it down or delay it.
You have highlighted one of the key issues: I agree that no fuel or product in the world can minimize Global Warming. Although Greener Options may reduce some negative outputs. However, in my opinion the only way to be effective is to limit our consumption of everything, particularly if we all commit to and act on, this.
My French Niece is staying over and she wanted some English Jeans from Tesco. I was shocked by the prices of some of the products. A two man garden tent reduced to only £7. How can this be right? How can we justify the number of work hours, the costs of materials, the investment in machinery, the transportation, the environmental costs of production, processing and disposal and the store’s overheads, staff training and so on, when a two man tent is £7?
It has become normal to over-consume everything in affluent countries. It is greed. This greed is exploitation of other people and the environment. We should factor some of the real costs into the product price such as an ‘air mile’ tax
an environmental impact cost. A disposal charge, a ‘fair and ethical trade’ cost and so on. If we started paying the real price for goods and services we would automatically limit our own consumption.
How many man hours would it cost in reality to produce that two man tent by hand? How much effort to grow, manufacture and make up the materials for use before you can even start to make the tent? What is the environmental impact of using these resources? The time invested in acquiring the skills by the worker? These are the real costs. We have only being paying a fraction of the true price of all items.
You point out how people are cognitive dissonant when it comes to leaving on lights in the house. How can we stop this? Firstly there are design solutions to manage inefficiencies of products. Intelligent design would mean that the lighting and appliances switch off when the last person leaves the room. Think University libraries that already have this technology.
Secondly: By taking no action ourselves we can place the issue firmly in the Government of the day’s hands. They can limit consumption, by taxation and other additional charges.
Thirdly: Governments can withdraw or limit our choices such as in the UK preventing people from smoking in public places. Then we just have to consider ethically reducing populations to limit demand on finite resources.
Governments are now under increasing global pressure of penalties and charges for not addressing the problems. Ultimately, in future, people will have to really pay to maintain their double standards.
Smart Ways to Save Energy
