The following is an excerpt from OpinionJournal.com’s “Best of the Web” written by the editor, James Taranto.
A Scilly Experiment
“A world-first experiment to try and reduce energy use for the day on the Isles of Scilly was foiled after a turn in the weather caused participants to use more electricity,” London’s Daily Telegraph reports.
In the day-long experiment, Scilly people were asked to follow “a series of guidelines including switching off unnecessary lights and TVs when not in use and only filling kettles with the exact amount of water required.” Result: Energy use dropped, but by only 1%.
The reason: “Organiser Dr Matt Prescott said the experiment was undermined by bad weather–which saw people using more power than usual.” The experiment might well have been a success had it been conducted a day earlier, when it was sunny and warm.
Which leads us to a thought. What if there were a way of changing the climate so that the weather was warmer all over the world? We realize this is probably unrealistic, but if it could be done, it would be a great way to save energy.
For more “Best of the Web” click here and look for the “Best of the Web Today” link in the middle column below “Today’s Columnists.
