Volume 30 Issue 2 05 Feb 2021 23 Shevat 5781

Turn it off

Jacob Rose, Year 12

Turn it off

It’s crazy what a simple press of a button can do for the environment. According to the International Energy Agency, there are currently 1.6 billion heating/air conditioning units worldwide, and that number is projected to grow rapidly to approximately 4.5 billion by 2030. Increasingly worrying, lighting across the world accounts for 5% of all CO2 emissions. Both lighting and heating/cooling units produce by-products that negatively affect the environment and contribute to climate change. We are hopefully all aware of the devastating impacts of climate change and global warming, but not everyone is aware of simple fixes to reduce our own carbon footprint, at no cost to our everyday lives (and might even save us a bit of money).

The electricity generated to power our air-conditioners and lights are generally created from coal mines, which are the single biggest contributor to anthropogenic (human-induced) climate change. The burning of coal is responsible for 46% of CO2 emissions and accounts for 72% of total greenhouse gas emissions from the electricity sector. Global warming presents immediate devastating impacts on our Earth. According to the WWF, “Global warming stresses ecosystems through temperature rises, water shortages, increased fire threats, drought, weed and pest invasions, intense storm damage and salt invasion”.

At home, there is a simple trick to reduce carbon emissions and save money. The most common type of light bulbs, incandescent bulbs, are unfortunately also the most energy inefficient, wasting up to 90% of the energy they use and are designed to only last 1000 hours before burning out, encouraging consumers to constantly buy new bulbs. A better alternative is Compact Fluorescent Bulbs (CFBs) which are almost three times the price of normal light bulbs. Wait! Three times more expensive? Yes, three times more expensive. However, they are known to last over eight times longer than any incandescent bulb. And better yet, although CFB bulbs are more expensive in the short-term, long-term (after six months) they actually save households $25-50 per bulb and reduce electricity costs. Also, over its lifetime, a CFB will prevent 450-500 kg of carbon dioxide heating the atmosphere and use 70% less energy, reducing your household’s carbon footprint, with no extra cost in the long term.

Other simple tips and tricks you can use at home or school include:

  • Turning off taps and quickly fixing drips to reduce water wastage
  • Ensuring that lights, fans and/or aircon is off when exiting a room
  • If possible, use natural lighting and open windows to cool down rather than air-conditioning. Obviously, on particularly hot days this is not a viable option, but you can still be hyper vigilant of turning off non-essentials when leaving a room
  • Ensuring doors and windows are shut if air-con is being used

Ultimately, by simply turning off your heating/cooling unit or lights, you can save some money, but more importantly, play a role in saving the environment.

By Jacob Rose, Year 12