MOTIVATING PEOPLE TO CONSERVE ENERGYby Yvonne Wabai | 13-12-2016 06:00 |
|---|
|
There are many practical ways to motivate people to conserve energy. The first one is to ask people nicely. An experiment done by the Washington Post tried peer pressuring Americans into conserving electricity during peak hours. This is important because a company called Opower telephoned people on high demand days to remind them on their energy use and then followed up with e-mails telling them how much they had saved. The result was that on those day, people used 3% less electricity than they do on average. Opower succeeded because they asked nicely and politely. A similar experiment in Japan had similar results. Sometimes environmental organizations come across as crass because they do not ask nicely and instead try to force people into it. The second way is to discuss public health. Research done by the University of California, L.A., found that people were most likely to conserve energy when educated about the health risks involved with the use of fossil fuels. Most of the energy we use comes from fossil fuels like petroleum and coal that are used in the production of electricity and gasoline to power our growing fuel needs. The more energy we use, the more fossil fuels are burnt up in the process. The burning of fossil fuels results in production of large amounts of carbon (iv) oxide, commonly known as carbon dioxide, and in smaller amounts, sulfur and nitrogen oxides. The release of these gases into the atmosphere leads to air pollution which in turn leads to human beings and animals contracting several respiratory diseases. Thirdly, we can discuss public and private good. A way to do this is by reminding people that environmentalism is also about them and their children and that by conserving energy, they are safeguarding the futures of their children. Recent examples of the effects of global warming and climate change can also be used, not to scare people, but to inform and educate them. For example, in Kenya, most people did not believe that global warming was real until recently when we had a long period of drought followed by a long period of floods. That became a learning lesson for many. Fourthly, we can point out the money savings accrued from conserving energy. Simple things such as turning off electricity when not in use, using rechargeable batteries instead of disposable ones, reusing plastic bags and carpooling go a long way in significantly reducing the amount of money used to pay the bills at the end of the month. Lastly, the government can introduce measures to contribute towards energy conservation. For example, in France and Denmark, houses are required to have either green rooftops or solar panels installed on the roofs. Also in France, a law was passed requiring supermarkets and food stores to give away extra or unsold food instead of throwing it away as they used to. In Netherlands, there are roads constructed from plastic waste. In Kenya, a law was passed to have all building constructed from thereon henceforth to have solar panels installed on the roofs and subsidiaries were offered for the solar panels. The governments can also change the tax structure to charge taxes on fuel-guzzlers and have tax reliefs on cars such as Prius that are environmental friendly and on eco-friendly businesses. School and work programs can also be initiated to encourage children and employees respectively to conserve energy. Education is an important tool in creating and spreading awareness. A key thing for governments to consider while implementing these measures is to educate the people on their advantages and involve them in decision making so as not to turn into totalitarian regimes. There are several governments that have succeeded in going green without turning totalitarian, a good example being the Danish government. |
