How to live sustainably every day (Part 5) - More power to you

When it comes to saving energy, people mostly talk about solar gadgets. Solar heaters, lamps and cookers are popular and increasingly better designed, but they have to be installed and operated judiciously if we are to benefit from them, and they certainly aren’t the whole story.Apart from a few rural homes off the grid, almost all of us use conventional energy sources — electricity and gas. We can all take immediate steps to reduce our consumption. Turning off lights and fans when we leave the room is a simple habit most of us have lost. We often forget that when we need more light or air, we can take our work to the window or sit where the breeze is instead of turning on more lights and fans.Fortunately, we no longer hear the silly idea that keeping appliances and computers on standby day and night “makes more sense” than turning them off when they’re not needed. If a gadget on standby is warm to the touch, it is clearly drawing power.

How to live sustainably every day (Part 4) - Hole in the bucket

Of all the environmental issues we discuss, water raises the gloomiest predictions. Whether or not we believe in the water wars to come, we’ve at least seen spats in front of street taps. In most Indian cities, we ought to conserve water in our homes and gardens.“But we have no water problem!” say many householders. Yes, if you live in a privileged neighbourhood, there may always be water coming out of your taps. But what middle class families pay for water does not reflect the actual cost of purifying it and piping it into our houses.Poorer neighbourhoods may get what looks like ‘free’ water from street taps and lorries. But a woman who spends half her day waiting with her pot loses time she might spend caring for her family and earning a living. A girl appointed to carry water for the family’s needs usually misses school to do the job.