Energy Efficiency - Week 2
How hard is it to live in an ethical way?
In this section we ask you to challenge us to make certain lifestyle changes each week.
Though the intention is that these changes will lead to better living we are not opposed to attempting anything providing it is legal and technically possible!
Week Two - Energy Efficiency
We will run out of oil in 30 years. Already we are seeing the problems of fuel shortage in countries across the globe.
Probably not a bad time, then, to see how hard it is to use less or more efficient energy.
Results of last weeks challenge - no meat
Ollie is keen on the idea of decreasing energy use but habits are hard to break and there is no chance he will cut down on cranking up the stereo... might have a few difficulties.
Monday
Ol - where are you? Does this mean you are failing again....
Tuesday
Very suspicious - I think perhaps you are turning on lights and TV's willy nilly in a lacksedaisical fashion... (not sure that is a word... certainly not a word that is spelt correctly...)
Wednesday
Still no entry hey.... Ollie Ollie Ollie. What are you hiding? Have you been burning around in your Hummer again?
Thursday
"First day out in the hummer- went to some barren waste land and burnt barrells of oil for fun." Oliver Stewart
Friday
Perhaps its just me taking things to the extreme. But not being one to back down from a gritty challenge I was already way ahead of both Susie and Lara.
I saved four emails worth of energy by not even emailing until Friday where upon I compiled my weeks worth into one email. Tut tut La and Susie ever so wasteful with your daily ones.
I was confident with this one, after an ethically sound upbringing in a tent. Or at least that was what Dad referred to our house everytime I left the doors and windows open during the winter months. So turning off lights when exiting a room became common place with me if I wanted to keep a distant relationship between me and Dads energy efficient belt.
But along with wearing some extra layers and turning down the heater in my room, now the feeling of waking in a Turkish bath house are but a distant memory. As I now awake to find myself in an unheated outpost somewhere in the wastelands of Antarctica each morning.
Switching off my computer and monitor each night also provides me with enough time to go and make a coffee while me PC boots up the next morning woooha double bonus.
I also began my after work campaign of switching off the monitors of all the people at surrounding desks from me.
At night I have switched from working with just a lamp at my work area rather than the main lights on as well, so much more romantic the mood lighting when its just me and my mac and some Nina Simone playing in the background.
I was spurred on when reading that if everyone in the UK changed there light bulbs to energy efficient ones we would save enough power to not warrant another Nuclear power station as being currently proposed by the Government.
Unfortunately at my grass roots level our evil Landlord has installed some weird type of lighting sockets that only take small and extremely expensive bulbs not accepting the energy efficient ones, dam him!!
Personally I wouldn't say I did a lot more than I normally would (though of course more than Susie and Lara!) but it was a great week reflect on what goes on and off around me.
I definitely recommend everyone trys this out for a week.
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Angel - 0% Devil - 0% |
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Susie is getting a bit zealous about energy efficiency refusing to put lights on despite the risk of injury. She does have a penchant for cute fairy lights but... should do ok.
Monday
Braved it temporarily but after a couple of hours this morning I gave in and turned the heating on. I was finding it hard to type in all of the layers! (Why didn't we try this one in summer...)
Since I still haven't quite got round to cooking again I saved energy on that and I was so rushed that I didn't have time for a long shower (the downside being that I couldn't wash my hair so had to wear a hat but hey - that helped keep the heating down too...?)
Managed to avoid the fairy lights and go for the candles instead. Nearly changed the electricity supplier too.
Resisted chasing La round the flat too much but did surreptitiously nip to my room a couple of times as an excuse to turn a couple of lights off...
Not a bad start though.
Tuesday
Unplugging everything everywhere - in answer to La below - take a look at the BBC link. They did some investigating into how much electricity was used by things on standby. If you can't be bothered to read the whole thing I can summarise. A lot. A real lot. An incredible lot.
Didn't do as well as yesterday as I did actually cook something (well in truth burnt something) and for longer than I should as I cooked it from frozen rather than leaving it to defrost. To be fair the cooking time difference was only 2 mins so I will probably still manage to sleep ok.
The lights in the hall are fixed... darn it.
Wednesday
Hmmm - out all day really but for the brief hour I was at home I used the heat of the laptop to warm me. Can't really get around using it though La did at some point mention solar powered computers... hmmm will have a search to find out more.
Still - amazing how much heat comes out of the bottom - an untapped resource!
Thursday
Did well again but I am so not sure my successes are viable options for people who a) can't work in bed or b) have to see other people in their day. I.e. I didn't put the heating on and had a quick, non hairwashing, shower. Obviously still not cooking so no problems there and still unplugging all the chargers, appliances etc.
I am little concerned though that La is being utterly useless at this challenge - I guess it shows how difficult it is to get out of habits. Am plotting a week by week habit breaking task for us all that it would be great if other people wanted to attempt.
She will be so pleased!
Not sure if we should worry about Ol's disappearance. I know that he did actually go round his whole office turning off all the monitors on Monday but no word about it since... Maybe he is still feeling the shame of failing so badly last week!
Friday
I can't think of anything I have done today of note. I feel terrible for making no concerted effort. I didn't turn the heating on though, nor use any gas.
I went out and now I am typing this with as much care as you would take holding a new born baby. Its tricky.
We danced on the tube - in gymnastics style....
It was fun.
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Angel - 0% Devil - 0% |
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Lara will soon throttle Susie for literally trailing her around the house turning lights off. May choose to decrease energy use by locking Susie in a darkened room.
Monday
My problem is that I have the memory of a goldfish and kept forgetting that I was meant to be conserving energy and found myself at 5 o'clock this afternoon having not turned off my computer screen once, my ipod and my phone charging beside me and came home to my tv, stereo, hair dryer and and extenision cable all still plugged in (does that mean they are still sucking up power)? Thank god I live with Susie who is really taking it seriously and making me work by candlelight. She is good enough to win points for the two of us.
Tuesday
Mmm, think I have to start taking memory pills. Forgot again about the challange all day until getting home to Susie sitting in darkness and to being told off for keeping doors open from the living room to the hallway (it keeps the heat in!). Bit useless, but promise to be better tomorrow.
Wednesday
What? Conserving energy? Does eating only raw food count?
Thursday
Just read Susie's thing for Wednesday (see above) but the last sentence first - and for a moment thought she was talking about a different type of bottom!
Anyhow, although this might seem like only a small step, I do normally like the comfort of my television as I snooze at night. This week, however, big brother in the background has been bad enough to make me turn it off!
Friday
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Angel - 0% Devil - 0% |
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Past Challenges
