I was sitting with my 3 year old today and catching up on some of the old movies. When it was time to wind up and go, I was pleasantly surprised to find him get up even before me to switch off all the lights and turn off the air conditioner even before I did! It was so heartening to see how kids learn these simple good things simply by watching you. At the same time, I became more aware of the enormous responsibility of setting the right example to bring him up a good human being.
The habit of switching off electrical devices when not in use is indeed a simple one. But honestly how many can pride ourselves of doing this ourselves. Most often we have excuses for not doing this. We leave the lights on or the Air conditioner on even when nobody is in a room. We rationalize (‘rational – lies’) and justify our mistake. “I was coming back to the room anyways”, “Oh, it was only one fan” and so many of such comments are often heard when you remind people to do it.
The power of one is often talked about in various perspectives. Each one of us is important and plays an important role in this world today. We are either making the world better or making it worse. There is no neutrality in living and this applies to making it and keeping it green. Every bulb, every fan, every Air conditioner and every other electrical device that need not be on should be switched off. When you look at it as ‘just one’ it might not make a difference, but when it add us, it becomes significant.
Today, there are numerous options for opting for energy efficient lighting systems and other electrical systems. Whether your need is to for simple light or the more crucial data communication systems, you have the extensive option of choosing environment friendly solutions. The return on investment on these are also pretty high and hence makes sense to use them both from the global as well as your own personal benefits.
So the next time you need to change any electrical fitting in your house, make sure that you buy only energy efficient fittings and feel proud of your contribution to this world. Your kid and my kid will thank us from their hearts when they grow up.