A Day In the Low-C Life of Chi Chung's Family !
A Day In the Low-C Life of Chi Chung's Family !
In the Wong household, most lights are power-saving bulbs. They are also looking into replacing their fluorescent tubes with dimmable ones. Compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs can be 3 - 5 times more energy efficient than incandescent light bulbs, while LEDs (light-emitting diodes) are even more efficient and fabulous for replacing special lights such as the extremely energy-consuming halogen spotlights. Green Peace started a campaign last year for people to make a pledge to use energy efficient light bulbs, which is a great way to cut your carbon.
As summer comes along, air-conditioners will gradually be switched on again. 30% of electricity used in Hong Kong is from air-conditioning, so if you need to buy one, check for an energy efficiency label. For the Wongs, fans are just as important as air-conditioning. Fans help to circulate the cold air coming out of an air-conditioner and keep the room cooler in a much more energy efficient way than turning the thermostat way down. "I've even seen people put on jackets because the air-con is too cold. That's just plain stuuupid," laments Yvonne.
Talk CO2...
- Replace one 75-watt incandescent lightbulb with a 19-watt CFL bulb:
Cut 2kg CO2 per month - Don't use halogen lights; they emit five times more CO2 than even incandescent bulbs and give out way too much heat.
For each one removed: Cut 70kg CO2 per month - Turn up air-conditioner by 1 degree C
Cut 200 kg CO2 per month - Schedule your exercise time for right before your shower time (and keep it short!); the heat of your body will require less heat from the energy-consuming boiler.
Cut 7kg CO2 every shower
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