Switching off televisions is one of the most satisfying of measures to combat climate change. And Cornfield Electronics of the USA can sell you a universal remote control device, called TVB-Gone, which allows you to turn off practically any television set in your vicinity.
This device can be used to great effect in bars, cafes, restaurants, hotel lobbies, VIP lounges at airports, shopping centres, TV shops, cosmetics shops, fashion shops (and other shop with an unnecessary TV in), and waiting rooms.
The size of a key fob, TVB-Gone fits neatly into your hand and can be operated discreetly without anyone noticing. You need to wait up to half a minute before it finds the right infra-red code for the TV you are targeting, but more times than not you will be able to switch off the offending set.
There are three principal benefits for the planet.
First, at some 300 watts a plasma screen going for ten hours a day for 350 days a year is consuming some 1,050 KWh. That’s perhaps 525kg of CO2. If you can take a TV out for an hour before anyone realises it has been switched off, you might save a hundred and fifty grammes of CO2. Repeat that around the planet, every day, and several hours a day, we start to make a difference.
Second, the more TVs are switched off, the less people’s brains are corrupted with advertising which promotes carbon intensive aspirations.
Finally, in the ensuing moments of quiet we are more likely to find inner peace. Inner peace has a really low carbon footprint.
