Isn’t it naive to think that simply turning off the lights at night reduces our carbon footprint?

Answer

Hi Martin,

Yes and no.

Your statement itself is correct. By turning off light at night, the print is reduced. Even if only 1 Joule less is used, this statement is still correct, although the earth will not feel better as a result.

There is another thing that comes with it; the awareness. By urging people to turn off the lights, take their bicycles … people will be reminded time and again that things can and must be done differently, but the bicycle in itself will not be the solution.

Real solutions can only be obtained through changes in insights and habits such as fewer people on the earth (birth control, but has an ethical downside), other energy supplies (e.g. even more nuclear energy, but also has downsides), fewer gadgets, luxury … which means less production and transport and less waste to be processed.

People are more likely to change these habits if they are aware of the problem. The real result will therefore have to come from a multitude of solutions and behavioral adjustments.

Belgium’s poor performance is also partly explained by industrial branches in Belgium that consume a lot of energy, but whose goods are subsequently exported. Part of the surplus of footprint is therefore also caused by the production of goods for foreign countries. We can therefore solve this part by winding down the industry here and moving abroad, reducing the Belgian footprint and increasing unemployment.

For example, moving the chemical industry in Antwerp to the Netherlands will shift the negative effect by a few kilometers across the border, which will not affect the earth, enrich the Netherlands and impoverish Belgium. The effect will therefore have to be tackled globally.

Kind regards,
Luc.