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Simple tasks for all

(China Daily)
Updated: 2008-08-05 10:55

Most of the time when we talk about energy conservation, we have major corporate energy consumers in mind. Even our ambitious national energy-saving programs tend to focus primarily on industrial sectors.

We have, of course, heard categorical appeals for households and public institutions to economize on electricity and various other resources. But none has the potential as the State Council's latest directive on energy-saving does in maneuvering the kind of changes in our ways of life.

The decree, aimed at a nationwide energy-conservation initiative, recommended 10 things many of us can do to reduce energy use in everyday life.

Indeed, the calls for public office-holders to personally experience energy shortage every year, and for controlling lighting at public venues are not meant for most of us.

But every one of us can take part in and contribute to it by refraining from driving one day every week, resorting to environment-friendly shopping bags, setting higher temperatures for air-conditioning at home or in the office, reducing the use of elevators when possible, choosing energy-saving products, avoiding using disposable products, or dressing down a little bit and reducing reliance on air-conditioning.

We are not sure about the effects of the appeal to public servants to arrange for themselves to experience the pinch of energy scarcity, though we do hope they can always bear in mind that grim reality on our horizon.

Nor are we sure how public institutions will respond to the idea of putting some of their vehicles off the road according to the last digit of their plate numbers. It needs tooth to actually bite.

Still this is a wonderful roadmap for the average citizen's involvement in a campaign set to serve a strategic collective interest. What have been recommended were mostly minor changes that would not significantly lower the standards of our lives. They are easy to achieve. More importantly, they cut our energy bills, and very likely also medical expenses.

We like the central government's recent decision to differentiate tax burdens on the use of low- and high-emission vehicles. That could be the only practical way to really encourage the use of smaller cars.

Since the new directive wants people to opt for appliances consuming less energy, it would be sensible only if competent authorities can come up with incentives that make their use affordable and preferably lucrative.

On a higher plane, our national planning for industrial development needs adjustments to be truly supportive of energy-saving technologies and products.