Archivi dei tag: consumption

Would Degrowth Be a Sustainable Shift for a Greener Tomorrow?

In a groundbreaking study, the University of Massachusetts reveals that reducing working hours can contribute significantly to environmental conservation. Trimming just 10% of our work time could lead to a remarkable 14.6% reduction in our ecological footprint, primarily due to decreased travel and daily expenses.

This idea sparks a debate between two contrasting theories:

  1. Technological Advancements and Unchanged Wages: Some believe that despite reduced working hours, technological and energy improvements could sustain economic growth. Changes in daily habits, like preparing meals at home, could further reduce pollution.
  2. Degrowth Theory: Advocates of degrowth argue that a substantial reduction in ecological footprint by 2050 is achievable only by decreasing wages. This theory contends that with less disposable income, material consumption would decrease, subsequently reducing pollution and resource use. Essentially, earning a salary equivalent to the actual days worked, such as a four-day workweek, aligns with this approach.

Personally, I lean towards the degrowth theory. The current trajectory seems unsustainable, risking a rapid depletion of resources and an uncontrollable decline in population and industrial productivity. Despite its radical nature, an OECD report indicates a 50% increase in consumption over the past 30 years, correlating with a rise in environmental footprint. Degrowth proposes a gradual reduction in consumption, starting with a cut in working hours.

Economist Serge Latouche, a key proponent of degrowth, clarifies that it’s not about weakness or suffering but a transformation from consumption to use. This involves buying based on necessity, repairing items, and recycling at the end of their lifecycle—a shift towards a materially responsible society.

Degrowth advocates a celebration of slowness, drawing on tradition, and a shift from quantity to quality. It emphasizes that progress requires conservation and challenges the notion of new equating to better and old to outdated.

So, why work less and earn less? The reduction in working hours must be accompanied by a decrease in wages to avoid an increase in the ecological footprint due to leisure activities. However, this shift would allow more time for personal growth, extending beyond mere leisure.

In the face of our crucial choice between embracing sobriety across all levels or hurtling towards resource depletion and a global system collapse, it’s time to reflect on a different future. Especially in these challenging times marked by a threat of an increase of the planet’s temperature by over 1.5 degrees, we should choose a more sustainable and committed behavior as the path forward. Everyone should be ready to make some efforts to reduce their own consumption.

What are your thoughts? Would you consider working less, earning less, and consuming less, while embracing a more purposeful and conscientious way of life?

You can find more on the environment on my blog and also on the Boomer Eco Crusade blog, a blogger who is really engaged in making small changes towards a positive impact.

How You Can Reduce Your Energy Consumption and Save Money by Saving the Planet

Since the beginning of the war against Russia, in Europe we have been experiencing an unprecedent energy crisis. Our governments advised us to reduce our energy consumption and I am trying to cope with that, even though sometimes, I have to admit it, it’s difficult.

However, by taking small steps at home, not only you can save energy (and money) but also you will help to protect the environment by reducing your emissions.

Households generate roughly a quarter of all direct CO2 emissions produced in the EU today.

And did you know that three-quarters of the energy used by homes across the EU is for heating and cooling?

So, let’s see how you can reduce your energy consumption and contribute to the reductions of the global emissions.

Heating & cooling
  • Don’t overheat your water. Set your boiler at a maximum temperature of 60°C to make it run efficiently and hygienically.
  • Use the thermostat wisely. Did you know that your house won’t get warm faster if you turn the thermostat up? This only influences the maximum temperature in your house.
  • Close your curtains or shutters on hot days to reduce the sunlight entering your home.
  • Keep cool with a fan. Fans use much less energy than air conditioners.
Insulation
  • Replace single-glazed windows with double-glazed ones. Double-glazed windows lose 50-70% less heat.
  • Can’t install double-glazing? Thick curtains or removable insulating window panels will reduce the flow of cold air into your home.
  • Draught can be a big source of heat loss. You can save energy by sealing gaps around windows or installing draught-proofing beneath doors. Even adding covers to keyholes can make a difference!
  • Insulate hot water tanks, central heating pipes and wall cavities. If you can’t install cavity wall insulation, fit insulating radiator reflectors on the wall behind your radiators.
In the kitchen
  • Buy energy efficient appliances. When buying an appliance to help you choose an energy efficient model there are ratings. The rating ranges from A+++ (most efficient) to G (least efficient). An A+++ dishwasher uses as little as half the energy used by a D-rated one, for example.
  • Check your oven is properly sealed. If you have to replace your oven, go for an A-rated model – this could save you around €200 over its lifetime compared to a D-rated one.
  • Avoid washing dishes by hand if you have a dishwasher. Modern dishwashers use less water and energy – and most have an ‘Eco’ mode – but only use it when it’s full!
  • Only boil as much water as you need. If you have left hot water in a kettle only for a few minutes, you don’t need to re-boil it.
Wash smart
  • Fill up your washing machine. Don’t do a wash if you only have a few items of clothing. Wait until you have a full load – but don’t exceed the maximum weight.
  • Choose the lowest suitable temperature. These days, detergents are so efficient that they get most clothes clean at low temperatures.
  • Select the option “reduce time” if available on your washing machine.
  • Skip the pre-wash cycle if your clothes are not very dirty.
  • Avoid using a tumble dryer if possible. One tumble dryer cycle can use twice as much energy as an average washing machine cycle.
Save electricity
  • Replace incandescent or halogen light bulbs with more energy efficient ones. One LED light bulb could save you over €100 in electricity costs over its lifetime of about 20 years.
  • Switch off your devices. Internet-connected devices like smart TVs, printers and games consoles from 2016 or earlier can use up to 80 watts of electricity when on standby mode. You could use a single multi-socket power strip to switch them all off easily.
  • Ask your energy supplier about installing a smart meter. Smart metering systems for gas and electricity could save you 3% of your energy use.
  • Go for green power. Most energy suppliers offer ‘green’ electricity, which support the expansion of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar. If your home has its own roof, consider fitting solar panels to generate some of your electricity.

Are you ready to reduce your energy consumption by saving money and saving the planet?