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Anything for Mother Earth

Environmentally friendly technology may make average homes greener in the near future, but what is more important to consumers - saving the planet, their money or their privacy?

by Magdalena Kalata

Vampires are not the typical spokespeople for anything other than the mysterious world of the mythical night, but the recent phenomena placing the blood-sucking creatures on the teen heartthrob list has propelled them into the spotlight. As the new faces of everything from dolls to political issues, vampires, or rather the actors who portray them, are becoming just another staple in the consumer diet. With the success of The Vampire Diaries, its main actor has decided to ride the wave of popularity as long as he can, all the while using it to propagate the cause he is most passionate about – the environment. Ian Somerhalder, who portrays vampire Damon Salvatore on the series, has long used Twitter as a platform to dispel his green mantras. After the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, however, the actor realised that people are hardly willing to take action on their own and more than a few positive words have to be sent out. With that in mind, he jumped on the telethon bandwagon alongside the likes of Cameron Diaz and Robert Redford, to raise money for the clean up of the coastline. Enjoying great success, Somerhalder has only just begun his crusade.

As any veteran of the cause will say, the point of going green is not only to encourage others to minimize their carbon footprint, but to reduce your own too. This is the logic behind Somerhalder's joint initiative with Go Green Mobile Power, through which the duo hope to bring sustainable energy to the set of the hit show. By switching from traditional generators to those which can be powered using solar, wind or biodiesel energy, the amount of carbon produced on an average day of filming would be significantly cut down. Certainly beneficial, there does seem to be one significant downfall to the use of such technologies by the rich and the famous from the perspective of consumers. According to the Changing Behaviour action sponsored by the European Commission, one of the main worries that citizens still have toward the concept of going green is that it is considered to be expensive and out of reach for many. Though this may be a superficial assumption, the reality still continues to be that because the avid environmentalists who tend to gain the most coverage are the wealthy, consumers are led to believe that the technology required is in itself beyond their budget. Social barriers are certainly still problematic, but as states are being pressured to reduce their carbon footprint, the new resources available may become more approachable for the average Joe.

AlertMe, a United Kigndom based consumer energy management company, provides devices for under 100£ that inform household users of the amount of energy that is consumed. In an effort to allow dwellers to make more informed decisions about when to use certain appliances and how much they can be expected to pay at the end of the month, the meters can also make suggestions on which appliances to replace. The idea behind AlertMe is to ensure that there is not a lack of information and that people stay aware of where they are using the most energy. Having an informed consumer is to serve as a base for the smart grids that the UK is preparing to make standard. Through the introduction of the smart grid, utilities would be able to ensure two way communication between households and providers. For the utility companies this would mean having the ability to charge more at peak times and even shutdown individual appliances, while consumers could program appliances to turn on and off at certain hours based on lower cost or activation of solar panels. The façade clearly seems like a road of two-way benefits, but the reality is that smart grids have already faced some protests, even from areas that have traditionally been environmentally friendly such as the Netherlands.

The voices of protest against the full introduction of smart grids by utilities are based on the fact that even though it may be economical in the long run and environmentally conscious, it is also an infringement on the privacy data laws. Similar to the Google Maps case, the wireless communication with utilities would also provide an excess of information to the companies. Everything from the time residents wake up to what floor of the house they occupy at any given moment would be shared in, more or less, real time. By making the private data readily available, there is a worry of personal security that for many surpasses the more vague idea of energy security. Without that sensitive date, however, the technology would become less useful and thereby limit the impact it could have on carbon footprint reduction.

"An ugly gray box which spies on you and makes bills bigger won't go down well but smart meters don't have to be seen in that light," said Pilgrim Beart of AlertMe.

As tends to be the case with anything novel, if the use of smart energy is to take root beyond the stars of Hollywood and early adaptors, the marketing campaign that will precede any concrete steps taken in the UK or other states, will have to keep in mind focus groups and reassure customers that access to details is not only necessary, but also beneficial for them, their wallets and the environment.