A Low Carbon Life | Post 4 2017 | The Embarrassment of Light Globes

I’m serious about doing the best I can to mitigate against and adapt to climate change, particularly as it applies domestically.  I really try to ‘walk the talk’ and to live by my values so when people deride me for championing, among other things, changing energy guzzling light globes for energy efficient ones, I embarrassed.  They are usually criticizing me because changing light globes in our homes is not enough to stop climate change; it’s like a drop in the ocean; it’s thought to be a meaningless, middle class ‘feel good’ thing.  When I reflect on these comments, I can see the point but then I ask myself, does this mean we shouldn’t replace light globes for more efficient ones? The answer is, definitely, we should continue to replace light globes so now I say be a ‘light globe replacer’ and be proud but there is a caveat.  We proud replacers of light globes mustn’t think for a moment that it is enough; we have to reduce our overall demand for energy, of which electricity is a form; the energy that we do use has to be from renewable sources; and, it looks like new technologies, potentially creating new problems, are going to have to be deployed to drag emissions out of the atmosphere.  This is a lot more than voracious consumers just ceasing to add to the total.  All this has to be done quickly.  Experts are talking about short timelines depending on what they say has to be achieved – by 2020 which is just over two years away – by 2030 which is just over 12 years away – by 2050 which is just over 32 years away.

So, read my next post and I will share what I have discovered about replacing light globes but plan to do more!

I do as I do because ‘I Care’ so, until next time, Jane