Tag Archives: air conditioning

A life without air conditioning

Here are some numbers for how much energy we spend for making ourselves warm or cool in the changing weather. National Geographic says 47% of the world’s energy is spent on heating, way more than transportation at 27%. If you consider just your home, the number goes up to 60%, says HRAI Canada. Are we supposed to get rid of this energy use completely?—that sounds a bit too drastic for me who cuddles in front of the heater every day these winter days. Still, a lifestyle without any heating or air conditioning existed much closer to home than I thought.

This story takes place in a tea ceremony house in Kyoto, Japan. Continue reading →

October 17, 2013Permalink Leave a comment

Sustainable Hollywood

Have you thought about what it takes to make the movies we enjoy? In terms of resources for example, sets require lots of wood, bright lights, and air conditioning to cool them. Sustainability and care for the environment is a hot topic now, but where does the entertainment industry play in this?

Link to flickr photo of stage lights.
Stage lights by Olly Coffey. Photo from flickr.

Recently, I have been intrigued by the idea of biofuels as a new source of energy. The application of tree biochemistry to gain renewable energy is a growing field. This brought up a thought-provoking opinion from a close mentor of mine: he says we must be able to adapt to a lifestyle that does not require more and more energy. He says that we can learn from ancient lifestyles close to nature. But do we sacrifice the comfort of late night movies and dramatic scene play? Continue reading →

October 7, 2013Permalink Leave a comment