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Every year I go to South Africa’s Travel Indaba in Durban and witness tour operators from all over the world, walking around with their wheelie suitcases filling them up with endless brochures and promotional material, all printed with toxic ink on glossy paper. They will take these home by plane, file them and probably never look at them again. And this all just fuels the printing fire for next time. And it worries me. As hard as the organisers are trying to promote the green aspect of the show, and recycle as much as possible, there is still a pile of brochures on every stall, and a daily Indaba newspaper printed for all to read.
I keep thinking that there have to be ways that we can minimize our impact on this earth. But most of the time I feel helpless in the onslaught of our rampant consumerism, with so much printed matter out there, like the newspapers and glossy magazines, air conditioners, etc, how does one begin to stem the flow? I suppose its a bit like voting in the elections: “one vote can make a difference” or “you gotta be in it to win it” and all those old cliches. So I try to recycle as much as possible and do those few things that can make a difference, but maybe I have to try harder.
And hats off to those in tourism who are going digital and putting their glossy brochures online only. Wilderness Safaris are trying, although they are still printing, but have at least started the process. I see that the magazine Africa Geographic have a fully online version of their publication now too. So this is good.
And here are some other inspiring ideas to get you involved and hopefully to make that difference. Even if its just the little things, like turning off the lights when you leave a room, or not letting the water run whilst you brush your teeth.
The winners of the Young Designers Category this year at the ETA Awards 2009 were Gingindlovu Primary School Eco Club. “eta” is the Greek symbol for efficiency, hence the name of the Awards. The purpose of the eta Awards is to reward exceptional effort in the more efficient use of energy by individuals, students, companies or other institutions. The brief for the Young designers Category: aimed at school-going children with a creative idea, programme, design or prototype that looks at the efficient use of energy and not the generation of energy.
Their main challenge was to look for solutions in areas with a lack of transport and energy which resulted in the development of an “eco-bicycle”. A battery was attached to the bicycle which would be charged through the natural energy of the learners riding the bicycle home. The learner could then use the battery to power a lamp to do his/her homework after riding the bicycle home from school.
They attached a dynamo to a mountain bike, leading to a 12 volt battery secured to the bicycle. They determined that one trip of 400 metres generated 1 volt of electricity. They needed to travel 4,8km to fully charge the battery. They then compared the energy used by an incandescent bulb versus a compact fluorescent lamp (CFL). The CFL provided 40 minutes of light on a full battery, compared to 18 minutes from the incandescent bulb.
And what about this guy who won the residential category? Dr Keen managed to make his home more or less energy self-sufficient over a period of 26 years. The first step was to install a solar hot water system, which paid for itself within 6 years. Now that is trying!
For more on these awards and to see other winners, go to: www.eta-awards.co.za
Why the need for energy efficiency?
The more electricity we use, the more electricity needs to be generated. We flick on switches without thinking that behind the supply of power to our homes and businesses is a complex chain of supply that stretches back hundreds of kilometres to power stations across the country.
The higher peak demand for electricity grows, the more new power stations are required. This requires massive capital investment and, in turn, pushes up consumer energy costs. The environment will benefit from the efficient use of energy. For example, every kWh (Kilowatt hour) of electricity saved means a saving of 1,4 litres of water and one less kilogram of carbon dioxide generated by a power station.
So when you next go to gym, ask them why the bike you ride there whilst listening to your i-pod is not hooked up to a battery charger that powers their lights or the hot water supply. And remember to turn off all those unnecessary lights tonight…
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