Turn the lights off
(Original)

Oscar S. Tanum
(Age 14, Norway)
Brunla Lower Secondary School, Stavern

Here in Norway most of the people do not understand the problem with global warming. We throw away energy because we can afford it. Well, the Norwegian population can afford it, but can the Earth afford it?

I do not believe that we need the government to make us do something or find a solution for this problem. We can manage to turn off the light in our own living room.

Anyway, I found something interesting on the internet, on those facts alone should make you stop pollute: Almost half of the energy we use in our homes goes to heating and cooling. Use the “turn off” function on the television, not the remote control. A TV set that is switched on for 3 hours a day and in standby mode during the remaining 21 hours uses about 40% of its energy in standby mode. When I read that, I ran to our living room, and yes, our television was on. I felt a little embarrassed and stupid, but I was glad nobody knew about it.

In Australia they had a cool thing in the shower. They had an hourglass. Well, the hourglass itself is not so cool, but the meaning with it is pretty smart. The point was to try to finish the shower before the hourglass went out, and with that you should save water and electricity. I think this is a brilliant idea.

And about cars that pollute: I believe that people drive their cars because they have too little time and need to hurry. Well, get up from bed earlier and you have solved that problem. “I can not get up earlier because then I will not get enough sleep” someone sure will reply to defense themselves. This might be a hard thing to do, but try to go to bed about an hour earlier and you will have a good night sleep. You can handle that, it is not much to ask about or do. When I was cycling to our home from a friend I did only see two cars that did not only have one person in it. And why do you need 4×4 car when you live in the city with only one steep hill?

Anyway, what I realized I could do, including those things, is to make people attentive of global warming. All you have to do is to say things like “You should really turn off the printer”. You don’t have to do something big. Sometimes the easiest thing makes a big difference. And did you know that a shower takes up to four times less energy than a bath? I did not know.

What I did at home to change our vision on the problem with global warming was writing simple sentences like “why take a shower longer than you need?”, “why drive the car with only one person in it?, “why don’t turn the computer off when it’s not in use?” and “turn off the light when you’re not in the room” on yellow post-its. Yes, I know it is a little ironic that I use the paper to save the environment. But, I did not use many, so I am sure it is okay. Too bad those post-its may never be recycled. It did not take much time, and with that “invention” I hoped something should happen. And fortunately something did happen.

Dad saw it really quickly, and asked if I was the one that had hung that post-it in the car. When I said yes, he answered with a smile and said it was really good. Mom saw it later and said it was a good idea.

When writing this, I was a “witness” to my brother reading one of my post-its. He walked into the bathroom and when he came out he asked who had written it. Again I answered it was me, and he just said “Great” and kept walking. It seemed like he was thinking about it.

My family now turn the television off instead of just turn it on standby, they turn the lights off when they do not use them, dry our clothes outside instead of using the tumble dryer, and we do not shower longer than we need. Mom walks to the job, but Dad still drives to work. And I understand why he does still drive alone, or almost. The bus may be a little slower, and he can not use the bike because there is no shower at work, but he might someday take the bus, it would not hurt him. However, I’m so far placed by the results. Just the fact that they actually care is important.