light bulbs.

[robgil]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRQB2YXUxvY&feature=featured

this you tube find is quite interesting , but , why not just make appliances etc that use less power instead of making more powerstations to run our power thirsty life styles?

i know i know , another silly light bulb thread , sorry.

 

[Flyfisher]

The http://www.withouthotair.com link at the end was interesting. Lots of reading, if you're so inclined, and a thought-provoking analysis of the scale of the problem.

Have no illusions. To achieve our goal of getting off fossil fuels, these
reductions in demand and increases in supply must be big. Don’t be distracted
by the myth that “every little helps.” If everyone does a little, we’ll
achieve only a little. We must do a lot. What’s required are big changes in
demand and in supply.

Full text at: http://www.inference.phy.cam.ac.uk/withouthotair/c19/page_114.shtml

Also:

Because Britain currently gets 90% of its energy from fossil fuels, it’s no
surprise that getting off fossil fuels requires big, big changes – a total
change in the transport fleet; a complete change of most building heating
systems; and a 10- or 20-fold increase in green power.

Given the general tendency of the public to say “no” to wind farms,
“no” to nuclear power, “no” to tidal barrages – “no” to anything other
than fossil fuel power systems – I am worried that we won’t actually get
off fossil fuels when we need to. Instead, we’ll settle for half-measures:
slightly-more-efficient fossil-fuel power stations, cars, and home heating
systems; a fig-leaf of a carbon trading system; a sprinkling of wind turbines;
an inadequate number of nuclear power stations.

Finally, http://www.inference.phy.cam.ac.uk/withouthotair/c27/page_203.shtml, describes five actual plans for weaning the UK off fossil fuels, which is the first time I've seen such a detailed plan.

PS: The following suggested actions for saving energy might not be universally popular with PPUK readers:

Major action possible saving
Eliminate draughts. 5 kWh/d
Double glazing. 10 kWh/d
Improve wall, roof, and floor insulation. 10 kWh/d
Solar hot water panels. 8 kWh/d
Photovoltaic panels. 5 kWh/d
Knock down old building and replace by new. 35 kWh/d
Replace fossil-fuel heating by ground-source or
air-source heat pumps. 10 kWh/d

Details at: http://www.inference.phy.cam.ac.uk/withouthotair/c29/page_230.shtml

 

[robgil]

i have always been under the impression that every little helps , it does but its not enough.
its a worrisome realisation.