Thomas Edison: Thanks but no thanks!

　　The patent for Edison’s invention, the incandescent light bulb, was issued in 1897. This light bulb has an extremely high power consumption. About 95% of the electricity is wasted to generate heat, with only 5% being used to generate light. An 11 Watt fluorescent light bulb gives off as much light as a 60 watt incandescent light bulb using only 1/5 of the electricity.. Changing to fluorescent light bulbs helps to cut carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, making a contribution to stopping climate change, as well as cutting your lighting bill by around 80%. As a smart Green Consumer, need you know more?

　　At the start of 2007, the EU, Australia and Canada announced plans to phase out inefficient incandescent light bulbs as a simple step towards the prevention of climate change, twenty other countries are also close to taking this step. HK SAR Government, what are you waiting for? Don’t just talk about it, phase-out incandescent light bulbs now – it couldn’t be simpler.

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　　 A Greenpeace team has just returned from the Himalayas to document the impacts of climate change on the glaciers of the world’s highest mountain. They brought some old photos with them to document before and after shots of a glacier.

　　Why make a comparison picture of a glacier? Well, these great glaciers of Everest are a water source to the major rivers of China and India serving hundreds millions of people and they are melting, retreating and disappearing. As our comparison pictures show, this has all happened in an alarmingly short time frame – just under 40 years!

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　　Following hot on the heels of the April release of the 2nd landmark report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) documenting climate impacts, May saw the release of the 3rd report, “Mitigating Climate Change”. The findings of this latest report are that renewable energy and energy efficiency are vital. The next two decades are crucial and that changing our energy use is less costly than changing our climate. In his closing address, IPCC Chairman Rajendra Pachauri poignantly captured the heart of the issue when he said "The IPCC doesn't have any muscle, it has grey matter. The muscle will have to come from somewhere else."

　　The UK Government’s Stern Report (October 2006) estimated that global warming could lead to global annual GDP losses of between 5 – 10 percent if no action was taken now. On the other hand, the report noted, if action were to be taken now, a fraction of the potential losses (0.2 - 3 percent annually) would help avoid even more dangerous climate change. "It is quite clear that immediate action to cut greenhouse gas emissions is required. The longer the delay, the higher the temperature increase and the greater the impacts; further procrastination could have a devastating effect on the lives of billions of people across the world" said Stephanie Tunmore, Greenpeace International climate and energy campaigner in Bangkok.

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　Greenpeace has been pressuring Apple to go green by committing to a phase-out of toxic substances in their products since 2003. Earlier this month we saw something we've all been waiting for: the words "A Greener Apple" on the front page of Apple's website, with a message from Apple Director Steve Jobs saying "Today we're changing our policy."

　　Apple has declared a phase out of the worst chemicals in its product range, Brominated Fire Retardants (BFRs) and Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) by 2008. That beats Dell and other computer manufactures' pledge to phase them out by 2009. But while customers in the US will be able to return their Apple products for recycling knowing that their gear won't end up in the e-waste mountains of Asia and India, Apple isn't making that promise to anyone but customers in the USA. Elsewhere in the world, an Apple product today can still be tomorrow's e-waste. Other manufacturers offer worldwide takeback and recycling. Apple should too! Now, let's take it to the next level! An Apple green to the core!

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