Electricity supplies:
As reported last month, the Sustainable Parish Energy Partnership (SPEP)
that was set up by South Cambridgeshire Council, are looking at the possibility
of setting up a scheme for “collective switching” of electricity supplies. It
appears that other district councils are also looking into this
possibility. We have not yet had any
report about the discussions at Coton Village Hall on 14th November. Any further developments on this scheme will
be reported next month.
Electricity monitors: These are still available on a free loan, if you should like
to find out when, why, who, and what, are using so much electricity in your
house! Please contact Trevor Brown (details below). These monitors were supplied to Little
Gransden by SPEP.
The New Scientist magazine reported in their edition of 30th June
2012 that we should be paying attention to the colour of the light in our work
place and home. Natural light varies
subtly over the course of the day. We
have evolved to respond to these variations, which influence our mood, sleep
patterns, and health. Normally, the
artificial light at work or at home never varies.
In the morning, we are
woken up to the rising sun with a very yellow light, which normally stirs us
into activity. Around midday, when the
sun is shining, the blue sky radiates more blue light into our eyes and reduces
our melatonin levels, which enhances our mood and improves our alertness. By evening time, as the sun sets, the light
becomes very red, and allows the melatonin levels to increase, and prepares the
body for sleep.
NASA is concerned about
their astronauts when they live under artificial fluorescent light in space
craft for days on end. They are now
investigating the use of different colour light to wake them up, then keep them
is peak alertness under blue light, and then to encourage them to get a “good
night’s sleep” by relaxing them under a redder light. Similarly, Boeing, in their new 787
Dreamliner aircraft are developing lighting that can be colour controlled, and
allow passengers to have a warm reddish light, so that passengers will arrive
at their destination feeling more refreshed.
So, perhaps, we should
wake up under lights with a colour temperature of 2000 to 2700K (warm white),
work under halogen or artificial daylight of 3500 to 5000K (blue white), and
retire to bed under reddish light (how romantic!). Or we could save electricity by getting up
when the sun rises, and go to bed when the sun sets – just like our great grand
parents did!
