A Day In the Low-C Life of Chi Chung's Family !

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Sure all your lights are switched off? And it's not just lights either. 5-12-% of electricity used by appliances happens when they're left in stand-by mode. Especially in the digital culture that Hong Kong lives in, from computers, monitors to TVs, DVDs and those PS3 and cellphone chargers, each and every item adds up. Studies in Australia shows that almost 12% of household electricity consumption came from items on stand-by mode, which was calculated to be generating more than 5 million tonnes of CO2 in a year. Switch off the lights and look around. Each little dot of light around the house is an indication of the money you are losing and the carbon you are contributing.

Of course, these are just rough calculations, but they're easy guidelines to aim for getting our currently overweight lifestyle into fitter shape. The WWF carbon calculator can tell you an approximate amount of emissions you produce and ways to cut them, though bear in mind the carb you gain from sources not listed there. Try keeping count for a month with family or friends and see who ends up with the lowest C.

Chi Chung and Yvonne have long been environmental gurus-their wedding date was especially chosen to be on Earth Day in 2000! The wedding was held in Hawaii, the Wong family's second home, where the beautifully preserved nature pushes the cold, hard truth of how much Hong Kong needs to catch up with being environmental. But Chi Chung and Yvonne admit there's still a lot to learn. "Everyone's so used to living comfortable modern lifestyles that it's easy to shrug off responsibility for long term consequences. We've always been aware of the environment, but with the world at this stage, there's always more we should do."