In October we went to London and stayed for a few days with friends in the East End. The lights of Canary Wharf filled the night sky beyond their garden; a great grid of white squares, every window lit, stunningly, mesmerisingly beautiful.
At home, we turn the hall light on at the foot of the stairs and turn it off when we reach the landing.
It’s hard not to feel bitter.
About Me
- Susan Harwood
- It's one of those odd things . . . I live in my little house by the sea and listen to the radio and reckon I know best about more-or-less everything . . . as I keep telling the news-casters, the policiticians and all the experts interviewed there. I shout quite loud - but I'm beginning to suspect they can't hear! Sometimes, I write to my MP . . . but there's always more to say. So, here it is!
BOOK ON A BLOG
THE BRICKS IN THE CAVE - A full length children's adventure story by Susan Harwood - click on the book to read it.
ANOTHER BOOK ON A BLOG
TIMES RHYMES - For people who want to learn 'Times Tables' the easy way!
14 comments:
Firstly I love the title of the Blog, I wish I had thought of that one!
I agree that it’s frustrating but even if they turned off the lights I bet they would still leave the computers switched on and they use five times the energy.
Ian AKA Wood Mouse http://woodmousesdiary.blogspot.com
Glad you like the title!
Hmm . . . about the lights . . . just turning the lights off, that would be something. (There are an awful lot of them!)
The computers . . . there are lots of things I don't know . . . for instance . . . are the computers working even when there are no people in the offices? And I realise there is another very basic thing that I don't know about computers . . . do they need more power at 'start up' compared with when they are just left to trundle along?
But what I find truly astonishing, is that Parliament is just a bus ride away - where our MPs are busily worrying about climate change and energy conservation and telling us to buy energy saving light-bulbs. They can't really fail to notice that the city is lit up all night like a fairy palace.
It matters, partly, as Simon has said in the comments on SHEDS - because there is significance in the mundane and that, cumulatively, small actions have a big impact - but also because we don't really have the right to ask other countries to develop their emissions policies without clearly making some effort into putting our own house in order. It's the old thing about trying to take a speck out of someone's eye when one has a wacking great big plank sticking out of one's own.
Susan
Its a sentiment I whole heartedly agree with-everyone's little actions build into something significant, be that for harm or benefit. Last summer, London's light were switched off briefly. See here : http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2007/jun/10/energy.business
Perhaps that gesture could be repeated regularly
Recently when our part of town (Kawerau in New Zealand) had a power cut due to some idiot driver smashing into a power pole somewhere nearby, we were without electricity for a few hours. It was at night, and I went out into our driveway to check that it was at least our whole street and not a problem with just our own house electrics.
The amazing and wonderful thing was that the street lights were out of action also, and since there were very few clouds in the sky I was able to stand there (feeling sort of alone with nature, as it were) in complete darkness and have a really good look at the stars in the sky.
Maybe power should be cut at pre-announced times in our various countries, so that city and town dwellers may experience the sight of our skies at night like this. Would save some money for our authorities also!
David.
David
Did you notice the comment by Threadspider about London turning its landmark lights off for an hour?
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/gallery/2007/jun/22/1?picture=330065571
An hour doesn't seem very long though!
We used to be able to see the stars from our street, despite the lighting that was already there, but the local authority has a policy about how far lamposts should be set apart from each other and put in some extra ones (even though we could see our way perfectly adequately before).
In some streets they have dug up lovely, ornate lamposts so they can put in new (and extra) ones - despite the protests of residents. The old lamposts have now been put up as ornaments in parks instead.
Weird.
Susan
Susan,
I've mentioned previously in your blog, more than once Ithink, that reading some of the postings throw up memories.
Your latest one here made me remember that when I lived in that tenement building in Musselburgh near Edinburgh, there was a telephone box on the corner of the road near us. In dark winter evenings it attracted us kids because it was a sort of lit oasis in the gloomy or dark area.
Diagonally across the road juction was a red Royal Mail box. It stood near the entrance to our railway station. When the lettering on it was changed to ERII follwing the coronation of Queen Elizabeth it became the target for some violence. I was 12 or 13 about then, and I could understand the thinking, but not the stupid attacks on the poor letterbox, that Scotland and Britain had never had a Queen Elizabeth before this young beautiful one, so how come she was called "the Second". To this day, I've wondered at the idiocy of some in Whitehall. It created such problems, and for what benefit to any of us>
David.
While I dislike all the light pollution that prevents us from seeing the night sky, some street lighting is needed for safety, if it were removed and crime; particularly violent crime increased then there would be calls for heads to roll. Even though the real heads that need to roll are those of the criminals.
Incidentally, in the UK we waste thirty percent of the electricity used.
Hello Wood Mouse
I agree. We need street lighting.
But the important thing is its quality.
And it matters too where it is pointing. If I want to, I can read in our garden at night - gratis the council; I can even read inside the house if the print is large enough
And quite a lot of our neighbours have installed movement sensitive security lights which send huge, piercing spotlights directly into our bedrooms every time a cat walks by or a leaf stirs (even though our curtains are lined).
30% wastage of electricity is massive! (But not surprising.)
Susan
So what's the mugging,burglary and murder rate where you live?
Anthony . . .
It is true that some parts of twon are more dangerous that others. But this bears no relationship to the level of street lighting.
Susan
Susan
You may be interested to know that the WWF has called for everyone to switch off their lights etc at 8pm local time on 29 March as a powerful message of of the need to take action to combat global warming. I agree that one hour is not nearly enough but. if it raises awareness and makes people stop and think then it will surely be worth it. See www.earthhour.org for further details.
Gareth . . .
I took a look at the EARTH HOUR WEBSITE
It is being organised by the Australian WWF but I understand that WWF in the UK is currently considering ways they might publicise it more widely here.
Susan
Gareth - et al.
I put the Earth Watch 'Lights Out' Hour on our calendar for eight o'clock today (29th March).
But this is just the time when the family is usually settling down for bed-time stories.
The Cliffhanger is - will our torches last until nine?
Susan Harwood
People who like SHOUTING AT THE RADIO may also like LUCY AND ESTHER TAKE ON THE ELECTION
Susan
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