We are only few days away from Christmas holidays…and all of us have strolled around our city roads, watching the lights bringing out the Christmas spirit year after year. Some of us may have also read articles about the most beautiful Christmas decorated cities or about the tallest Christmas tree ever and so on… But what about the energy consumed during the holidays and how can we all cut down some electricity use?
Cities around the world are lighted up day and night; some of them started even 2 months before holidays, consuming tons of energy. The electricity used for seasonal lighting results in the wasteful burning of coal, oil and natural gas. The unwanted byproducts of this can include smoke, acid rain, and carbon dioxide emissions released in the environment. Christmas is a time of particularly high energy consumption for every household as well. The entire house is additionally heated as extra family members return to the fold for the holidays. Consequently, televisions, stereos and cooking appliances are overworking as well as some electric powered gadgets that may have been purchased as Christmas gifts.
Although seasonal lights will never be entirely environmentally friendly or 100% safe, you may not have to switch all of your holiday lighting off yet. Fortunately, there is an alternative; light-emitting diode – the well-known LEDs. If you replace all the traditionally toxic and inefficient decorative lights with LEDs you consume less energy and the outcome is quite the same. Just to be sure, use an energy calculator to see for yourself… Can you tell the difference?
We can also make some energy cuts ourselves during the holidays. To begin with, take considerable care of your energy usage at this time of year; think that you save energy and money at the same time. For example, turn all the unnecessary lights off, don’t leave electrical appliances on standby mode, and avoid all the pointless light décor; besides minimalism is always in fashion!
If these are too many rules for you; it’s Christmas after all…Just ask Santa for some low-energy lights!
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