Gadgets, juice and the environment

[janestarz]

In one of those free newspapers was an article about shopping "green". With an eye on the environment. Thanks to Al Gore, everything should be "green" these days, and I don't oppose the fact that people are more conscious of the environment, although the complete hype about it might have an adverse effect.

The article, as far as I can recall, stated that if half the households in Great Britain would buy a plasma television, the UK would need to build two addition nuclear power plants to generate enough power to supply the juice.
Two. Nuclear. Nukular, as Dubya would say.

What are we going to do with the waste?

People say I worry about these kind of things too much. They don't understand I get worked up about things like this. They say if people want a plasma television, they should buy a plasma television and that's that.
Please, please, please! Has everybody gone completely insane?
Have they?

Comments

[nathreee.livejournal.com]

"If half the households in Great Britain would buy a plasma TV, two additional nuclear powerplants would be needed to generate enough power."

"With all the energy that is wasted in the Netherlands we could light up the Sahara."

I hear a lot of these comparisons in the media these days and they are vague and empty. How big do these nuclear powerplants need to be? How many hours per day would those plasma TVs be turned on? Light up the Sahara for how long? And with what kind of lamps?

On the one hand these statements help us realise that yes, we need to do something about the energy we are using and the energy we are wasting, because our planet is at stake and where else can we live? On the other hand these statements cause people like you, dear Jane, to worry while you are already doing everything you can to help spare our planet. These statements frighten the normal people who can only do so much, and the big companies with the money to make a difference disregard them for the empty messages they are. I hate the media these days so much.

[kass-rants.livejournal.com]

For the record, we have one TV and it's less than a meter square. We have no intention of buying a plasma screen. We don't need one. The things you see on TV just aren't that good.

When Bob and I build our house, we're going to use solar power and wind power and water power as much as we can so that hopefully, we won't have to get electricity from anywhere else.

I figure I can't change the world, but I can change my little corner of it.

[janestarz.livejournal.com]

It's strange that many people (like my family and my colleagues) around me think that by considering the environment, they are attacked in their Nigh-God-Given-Right to buy humongous TV's and electronic equipment.
It's like they're saying "If I wanna buy a plasma TV, I have to figure that out myself, right? Who's gonna tell me not to?"
Actually, that's exactly what my colleagues are saying, proving only how short-sighted they are. I'm glad there's still people like us around.

You certainly are up early this morning!

[janestarz.livejournal.com]

Of course the media are making statements based on half-quoted, badly researched papers. Of course they hardly know what they're saying. I know where the news is coming from, believe me, because I studied to become a journalist as well.

Let's just consider the facts: a large TV will consume more power than a small TV, because there's more tube that needs more energy. So by setting a trend that a large TV is cool, the households will consume more power. If we consume more power, we need new power supplies.

People always think that it doesn't matter what they do, because other people will still do it if they don't. This way, nothing can be changed. By starting to do our bit, we can change things.
Recommended reading? Kass has some nice views (http://kass-rants.livejournal.com/60264.html), from a corner you might not expect. (also read the comments, there's some great tips in there)

[kass-rants.livejournal.com]

I'm usually up this early. I'm just usually still reading and not posting yet. It's pre-coffee in my time zone. =)

You describe an attitude that is pervasive here in the States -- we invented it (we *think* we invented everything) so we should be able to have it. I just don't buy into that. If I were going to set up a home cinema with surround sound and all that so all my friends could come over and watch movies, I would buy a plasma TV. But I don't see the point for me and Bob to watch bad TV shows and reruns of SG-1. It just isn't necessary.

Did you see on my LJ yesterday where one of my friends was trying to talk us into getting a minivan? Uh... Yeah. we need more space when we go to shows, but we're doing fine getting to only two shows a year. And our Scion gets 31 miles per gallon! There's no GM minivan that can do that.

I'm not a tree hugger by any stretch. I still use plastic bags at the grocery (when you have three big dogs, you need a lot of plastic bags!). But there are choices we can make that will make things better for everyone. Everyone just needs to decide which choices they're willing to make and make them.

[janestarz.livejournal.com]

I don't want to own a car. If we really need one, we'll rent one. It's still cheaper and much better for the environment than owning one.

I don't think you're a treehugger, but I do think you consider the environment! Lots of people just throw out those plastic bags, but you reuse them. We use bags like that to throw away litterbox-contents.
I always keep a linen bag in my backpack in case I need to shop.

[anemoona.livejournal.com]

This does remind me of a quote I posted a few days ago.

"Als je denkt dat je te klein bent om invloed te hebben,
dan moet je eens proberen te slapen met een mug in je kamer."

[de dalai lama]

I'll try to translate it into English (feel free to correct me):

"If you think you are to small to make a change, try to sleep with a mosquito in your bedroom"

[the dalai lama]