Save Electricity, Save Environment

World Environment Day special

Uttara Kannada, a green district located in Western coastal region of Karnataka has many power stations including one nuclear power plant. The major hydro electric power stations include Gerusoppa, Supa, Kadra and Kodasalli.. The whole Supa sub district is submerged due to Kali reservoir. Thousands of hectares of forests have been lost during these projects. Thousands of acres of forest cut down to build Kaiga Nuclear Power Plant. Hundred of acres of green forests were vanished for high tension electric lines to supply power to nearby cities(See Press release by Save Kali Movement). The people of Uttara Kannada successfully opposed Tadri thermal power plant to get cancelled, which could be harmful to both flora and fauna of this region. Already this district is lighting millions of houses.

But,  there is no proper power supply to this district. There is a minimum of 6 hours official load shedding in the summer. There was no power for weeks even in major villages. There are number of villages without power supply from the state electricity board till date.

I’m sure, if you save a little power in your daily life it is more than enough to light these houses, because their electricity demand is very less. The power that could be saved by common men in household usage at Bangalore city can light the whole district for weeks. Also we can check some more new power plants which will spoil our environment. 

To save power and save environment follow these tips:

Air conditioners: Check and clean the air conditioners filter once a month; make sure the air conditioning unit is the proper size for the room it is cooling; locate the air conditioner on the north or east side of a house in a shady area; ventilate the house's attic to reduce heat build-up; install ceiling fans to improve air circulation.

Dishwashers: Wash only a full load; turn off drying cycle, open door to air dry dishes.

Washing machines and dryers: Use only with a full load; use warm or cold water, reserving hot water use only for heavily soiled clothes; use only full loads for the dryer and if a second load is necessary, dry that load immediately after the first to retain as much heat as possible; clean lint filter before each load.

Computers: Turn off computers when not in use or set the computer to energy-saving mode.

Lights: Replace incandescent bulbs with screw-in fluorescent bulbs, which use 75 per cent less electricity and last at least 8 times longer; turn lights off when not needed; install light dimmers or photoelectric switches that automatically turn off lights during daylight or install timers to control use of lights; for lights used for home security, install motion detectors so lights come on only when motion is detected.

New appliances: Replace aging appliances with new, more energy-efficient models when possible.

Ovens and hobs: Use microwave instead of oven where possible; food in glass dishes can be cooked at lower temperature; preheating oven is usually unnecessary; on the stove top cook with covered pans and match pan size to the size of the burner.

Refrigerators: Check door seals to make sure there are no air leaks; clean condenser coils on the back of the refrigerator; keep refrigerator away from oven or dishwasher and give the unit breathing room; turn thermostat down to 3°C (37°F); turn on energy saver switch.

Water heaters: Use thermostats and timer controls to regulate your central heating and hot water supply wherever possible; lower the hot water heating setting to 50 to 55°C (120 to 130°F); insulate the water heater and any exposed hot water pipes; use low-flow shower heads. (Tips ref: Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2006. © 1993-2005 Microsoft Corporation)

Social awareness: Don’t show your prosperity by lighting the whole street at your family functions.