Jump to content

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 52
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

How about removing half of the lighting in all stores, offices, etc. on a permanent basis, rather than holding a pitiful event like this one. What's it really going to do save highlight how 'important' the Japanese consider it to floodlight the world. This addiction to 'bright light' here astounds me (Japanese have told me it's because of their eye color, can anyone back that up?)

 

It's like all the other 'big' events, like No My Car day, or No Shopping Day...make people think they're doing something worthwhile, a bit of guilt relief, when they should really be altering their lifestyles on just a slightly more a permanent basis, ...no? (recycling, for the most part, also falls in to this category).

 

Cool biz, on the other hand, although flawed in the degree to which it's enacted (loosing the tie in exchange for 28 degrees?) is a fundamental move in the right direction, if only a miniscule one...)

Link to post
Share on other sites

fukdane, you're probably too far away to get there... happyglass.gif

 

It's a regular sunday nite piano bar gig that I do in Roppongi Hills. Low key, laid back and relaxing. I like the little stream of water that runs through the place. Sound of running water. Nice.

Link to post
Share on other sites
 Quote:
Originally posted by connackers:
The Japanese government should clear a bit of space around Tokyo tower and replace it one of these things!
On the "Why Australia?" part of that site, it says; "Australia is a superior location for a Solar Tower power station development. Australia boasts vast areas of high solar radiation levels, geological stability and low land costs with many suitable terrains to successfully operate a Solar Tower power station."
Compare with Tokyo...
What this is saying essentially is that the system is useless on anything but wasteland. It's a symptom of the giantism approach to energy. Small, local systems will eventually have to be implemented instead. There are already small solar tower designs using reflectors and Stirling engines that can be built on top of office buildings.

miteyak, I agree with you entirely. These events are just stupid tokenism. If the changes you suggest were legislated into effect, nobody would even notice after a while, and the savings would be immense. (The reason I often hear for Japanese liking excessive lighting, heating, and cooling is to compensate for the discomfort they suffered during the war - basically laughable but with a slight grain of truth. Time to get over it methinks.)
Link to post
Share on other sites

Needless to say, this event is nothing serious. This is not the sollution for saving energy.

A NPO event called "Candle Night" was the first event and environment ministry just took advantage of it few years ago.

Maybe this event sets the stage for ignorant people to think about. Better than nothing. Don't expect too much.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Many days when the sun is out I have the office lights off here. The Japanese staff think I'm strange..... even when I point out to them that having the lights on does not affect the brightness of the office in the slightest confused.gif - it only uses energy and costs us money. But they seem to think they'd be better off with the lights on.....

Link to post
Share on other sites

> The Japanese staff think I'm strange

 

They're f-ing stupid that's why. Sorry to generalize but...

 

When I taught adult classes, the students would gather in my classroom with its massive windows on one side, and put all the lights on. I would arrive with my cup of tea, and without saying anything, look at the windows, look up at the lights, and turn them off. Every time, that created the same sort of reaction as if I had walked in and thrown hot tea over everybody (which I sometimes thought might be a good idea anyway).

 

Part of my lessons thereafter would be getting the students to describe the quality of the natural light in the classroom and its effect on their mood. They weren't very good at it first, but they showed improvement.

 

When it started to get dark and I actually put the lights on they would all mutter, "Ah! Denki tsuketa!"

 

It was all very Pavlovian.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Experienced the same.

It seems turning on the lights is often something done as a habit, not out of necessity.

Our office could get by with half of the lights they have very easily, with probably very little effect on how bright the room is.

 

They are indeed fools.

But how can so many people be fools.

It's curious and at the same time very sad.

Link to post
Share on other sites

http://www.ngmapstore.com/shopping/product/detailmain.jsp?itemID=391&itemType=PRODUCT&iProductID=391

click on the more views and you can zoom right in on any part of the world

 

this was a National Geographic map showing the world at night from space, Japan is very well lit up as you would expect as too Bosnywash in the States and Northwestern Europe.

 

I remember starting a thread moaning about the excessive lighting a while back

http://www.snowjapanforums.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi/topic/8/1721.html?#000000

I am forever turning off half the lights at work (thankfully not all the lights are operated by one switch they are split in most rooms)

students look at you like you jabbed your chopsticks vertically in rice or walked on their tatami with shoes on, but those who know me smile now when i do it, some of them are probably secretly glad I do it.

Even with half off its still ridiculously bright

 

one excuse I have heard is - "if the lights are off people will think we are closed" - lame excuse if you ask me.

 

At least many of the lights are energy saver types and not the energy sucking old school incandescent filament types. Scant consolation all the same.

Link to post
Share on other sites

The four strip lights above my desk I removed over a year ago, and if I'm first in to my section of the office, all the lights stay off until I go to lunch. It was an uphill battle, but basically the first in rule now seems stuck in place.

 

Taking out my strips lights was amusing, and office staff would often try to place new tubes in the empty slots... it took them a while to get their collective heads around the idea that someone might possibly have chosen to remove them.

 

I still get comments like, vampire, cave dweller, and, "are you sleeping?" as the sun streams through the huge windos not two meters from my desk.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I had a girlfriend who, until she was educated (took some time!) seemed to come in and just turn on as many lights as possible. There were lights on in 4 rooms at the same time. When I asked "whys that light on?", I first of all got "I'm going there soon", followed by a "kechi" remark.

 

confused.gif

Link to post
Share on other sites
 Quote:
Originally posted by slow:

Maybe this event sets the stage for ignorant people to think about. Better than nothing. Don't expect too much.
Once again, ironically, it's often the well informed who are the problem, not the ignorant. You and I, with our foreign travel, skiing, etc. pollute far more than many 'ignorant' stay at home types. Events such as these make people think they're doing something when they are not. Better than nothing? Is throwing a drowning man a cork better than nothing?

Anyway, how illogical to have the lights on in the daytime, then have a blackout at night...last I checked, lights at night were, er, kind of useful, and switching them off just reminds me how necessary they are... The event, (from an environmental awareness stand) is pointless, illogical and just totally bizzare...

unless, of course, you like star gazing.
Link to post
Share on other sites
 Quote:
Originally posted by Ocean11:
(The reason I often hear for Japanese liking excessive lighting, heating, and cooling is to compensate for the discomfort they suffered during the war - basically laughable but with a slight grain of truth. Time to get over it methinks.)
That IS amusing... the reasons I hear in England for the reason many older people conserve food, energy, and are not wasteful in their lifestyles are lessons learned and patterns set from the deprivation suffered during the war...
Link to post
Share on other sites

I`m curious about this question of leaving lighting on vs. turning it on and off as you need it. For example with rooms you`re not using at the moment. How long does a light have to be off before it starts making a difference?

 

Obiously it varies according to different lighting but can you give me a rough idea. Are we talking about switching a light on using the same amount of energy as having a light on for 5 minutes; or is it more like 1 hour?

Link to post
Share on other sites

My Physics teacher at school used to say that turning on a strip light used the equivalent of 20 minutes' worth of electricity, so they shouldn't be turned off for 15 minutes breaks. But turn 'em off anyway, just in case you don't come back.

Link to post
Share on other sites

My Dad used to tell me to leave a strip light on if it was only 10 minutes or so before I came back because it cost more to power up than be on.

 

I thought he was just being awkward with me at the time.

Link to post
Share on other sites

My Dad used to tell us leave the light off when going to the strip lit garage unless we was planning to be there for more than twenty minutes... fumbling through the box of tools in the dark was quite the...er... experience, but I still have all my fingers...

Link to post
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...