Our Environment: Improving Energy Efficiency

As countries develop and consumption increases so does the amount of waste per capita, and pollution becomes a greater problem.

The amount and type of waste produced varies between countries. More Economically Developed Countries such as Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia, have higher levels of consumption, producing more waste than Less Economically Developed Countries (e.g. India, Mexico, Brazil). Ireland and the USA produce over 700kg of waste per person per year. In Less Economically Developed Countries the figure is around 150kg per person per year. This difference is due to different levels of consumption; it is also more common to reuse items in Less Economically Developed Countries.

As a country becomes wealthier, the demand for consumer items increases. This means that items are replaced more frequently, leading to larger quantities of waste. For example, in the UK mobile phones and computers that still work are often discarded and replaced for a newer version. With technology evolving at its rapid rate and advertisements seducing our inward desire to be part of the latest trend impacts our attitude towards waste. While it can take some time in changing people attitudes towards waste reduction, the government are setting new policies and supporting campaigns that raise awareness on how much we waste and how we can reduce waste to a minimum. In the UK we have recycling strategies in place governed by local councils where we dispose of our rubbish in different bag or bins according to the instructions given, this is a good way to get everybody involved in waste reduction and being more environmentally friendly.

We are aiming to be a more environmentally friendly country, reinforcing strict national guidelines for energy efficiency. We have gadgets such as a sand timer when using the shower and stickers with interesting and colourful illustrations depicting an image of the environment, half in black and white and the other half in rainbow colours to remind us to switch off and unplug electrical appliances if not in use and how the environment responds to that. I hope that these initiatives continue to develop so that we can live in a cleaner, happier and more resourceful environment.

Happy World Environment Day! Make it count!