by The lights are out, the house is calm and nothing seems to be running. But electricity flows quietly through the plugs in their house. This hidden drain is known as a phantom energy.
The wasted electricity is also referred to as vampire energy and arises if they are not used if they are not used. This can range from household items such as telephone charging devices and microwaves to television and gaming consoles.
According to Alexis Abramson, dean of the Columbia Climate School, this waste is at home for about 5% to 10% of energy consumption.
“Phantom energy depends on what kind of systems you have and how much you have improved over time,” said Abramson.
For example, televisions that are connected to the Internet and have intelligent wake functions with which you can interact with telephones and other devices can be up to 40 watts of energy in the hours of the day when the television is normally switched off, according to Matt Malinowski, director of the building program for an energy-efficient economy. That is almost 40 times as much as a regular television.
“The good news is that there have been new, renewed efforts to cope with this,” said Malinowski.
He said that supporters and manufacturers have made a voluntary agreement to reduce the amount of intelligent televisions in standby mode.
Phantom energy contributes to climate change, since the device that has not been used can increase the demand for electricity from sources that release the emissions of planetary procurement. Aidan Charron, deputy director of the Global Earth Day, said that the amount may seem low if a person looks at their individual care of the pension calculation, the environmental impact of phantom energy if it is multiplied by houses across the country.
“Just take a little step to take the things you don’t use,” said Charron. “You will save money and save emissions in the long run.”
What you can do
Some of the main cuddles when it comes to emptying energy are devices that are constantly connected to electricity, such as B. those with a watch.
“Do you really need your microwave to tell you the time, or can you take off your microwave if you don’t use it?” said Charron.
While the socket actors cannot appear stressful, it contributes significantly to reducing emissions.
Charron recommends starting with small steps such as the plug -in actors for phones and other devices as soon as the battery is fully charged. The next step is to move other devices, such as: B. the plug of a non -used lamp.
If the plug sounds too hard, check your settings regularly and deactivate additional functions that you do not use. For example, intelligent televisions often have optional functions that can be switched off so that the television in standby mode does not hear any signals from other devices.
“If you do not use it, you will not get any benefits, but pay the price and increase energy consumption,” said Malinowski.
How individual actions can make a difference
Individuals also tend to take more sustainable measures, such as: B. Set actors as soon as you learn what you can do to efficiently reduce your budget emissions. These measures could help reduce the US emissions by about 20% per year, which corresponds to about 450 tons (408 tons) carbon dioxide, says Jonathan Gilligan, professor of earth and environmental sciences at Vanderbilt University.
The decisions that individuals make in their daily life add up, said Gilligan, mainly because the US population contributes to direct greenhouse gas emissions.
“The question will, what can we do to try to tackle this?” said Gilligan. “Phantom strength is part of it.”
The more people reduce their footprint, the more likely it is that others will follow, and after all, according to Gilligan, these actions can turn to social norms because individuals do not feel irresponsible.
“This is a place where psychologists find that this effect is real. When people see that other people take measures to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, they want to do that,” said Giligan.
When it comes to daily decisions, individuals may think that what they do is not a big difference. But what they tend to overlook is how they influence others around them by deciding to live a more sustainable life.
The effects can be much stronger than many people recognize, said Gilligan.
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