Chris,
I did a quick estimate based as follows - 25million households in the UK. Each uses 50watts of power for items on standby (VCR, TV, satellite box and a stacker-stereo). That gives us a use of about 1200MW. So we are not talking about small power station as I thought we might be. But it is still only 1 out of about 100. By the way, looking at the list I posted, all the small ones (below about 400MW) add up to 10,000MW, not that small when they are added together.
So okay, like you said if every country stopped using standby it would make
some difference. Things will have to be designed right so they don't wear out more from start-up surge.
I don't really mind anyway, I don't use standby very much. But I think if the government are doing something, they should bloody do something, not something so trivial as this.
How about Americans stop driving everywhere when they can easily walk. And people are given a limit to the umber of flights they can take each year (could be different for people flying on business I guess).
I wonder how much difference any of it will make when we are rushing to build loads more houses, and construction works is the worlds biggest polluter with concrete production etc... IIRC.
My general feeling is that we need to act big to make any difference to the damage done.
Anyway enough from me! SQ225917 has it right
