I’ve just been to Norway and my god those people can use energy. I mean not energy as in running around doing stuff and complaining about how tired they are like we do but the world’s energy.
Take my friend X for example. Or “Eks” as it’s spelt in Norwegian. She lives in an enormous house with lots of rooms. Well lit by huge windows and heated by invisible … heating agents under the floors I presume. When the family left for work they left every single light in the house on.
I kind of pointed it out in a subtle, roundabout way by saying “Why the hell do you leave all the lights on???” and they just laughed and said “I suppose we Norwegians don’t think about that kind of thing.”
No I suppose they don’t. They leave all the lights on because they can afford it. But can the world?
I was a bit disappointed. This was certainly not the Norway I knew and hated in the 70’s and 80’s – then the envy of the world in environmental protection. Now everybody has two houses and heated garages for their two or more cars – which they drive even going to the shops ten minutes’ walk away.
I dread to think of a Norway with a sizeable population. As it is, they only have 4 million people knocking about, but between them they manage to take a good chunk out of the world’s resources.
So, people: Don’t do as the Norwegians do! When you’re not around, turn off the light! Turn off the light in the rooms you’re not using. It’s just a habit, just like leaving them on. Use a fan instead of airconditioning. Open a window. Do the dishes by hand instead of using a dishwashing machine. There – you’ve saved the world and some money already. Single-handedly.
haha
I DON’T THINK YOU CAN CHANGE THIS BEHAVIOUR. i AM NOW IN HK FOR 3 MONTHS, AND I TRIED TO CHANGE THIS BEHAVIOUR IN MY (FUTURE) FAMILY.
IT IS NOT AS EASY AS IT LOOKS LIKE. ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU COME FROM ANOTHER COUNTRY(GERMANY-THE ENERGY SAVING CRAZY PEOPLE). AND EVEN IF YOU CAN CHANGE THEIR ATTENTION TO THE ENVIRONMENT, THERE ARE STILL MILLIONS OUTSIDE.
mY NEWEST IDEA: I BOUGHT A PACK OF red cards. AND I GIVE THIS CARD TO EVERYBODY WHO “PARKS” HIS CAR WITH RUNNING ENGINE. wITH MY BEST WISHES:” THANK YOU FOR POLLUTING MY AND YOUR HOME”.
FOR SURE THAT LOOKS STRANGE TO THEM, bUT AT least the have something to think about it.
sorry 4form&grammar
You missed a important point.
Almost all electricity in Norway come from Hydro (water based) sources, norway has no nuclear, gas or other major energy sources used in the country to generate electricity.
It is also a cold country – i.e. you need heating most of the year.
If you leave a light on (and have proper temperature controls in the form of thermostats) then leaving a light on just generates more heat (most of the output from a lightbulb is in the form of heat), and in turn the main heating of the house is turned down.
If the main heating is oil-based, this makes even more sense, as it means that you use more of the renewable energy (electricity) than of the non-renewable (oil) energy.
i.e. you save the worlds energy sources by leaving the bulb on.
So while I lived in Norway I left the light on in the part of the year we used to heat the house, but now that I live in the UK I turn the lights off.