Thursday, December 20, 2007

Light up the world (with the least number of bulbs)

In the ages before electricity was invented mankind seems to have thrived pretty well . Architecture , art , literature flourished . Some of the most exquisite creations - now found in museums or old monuments - are from the pre-electricity age . A recent visit to an incredible monument in India built in the 18th century sparked this thought.....
What if interiors of homes , offices , retail establishments , public spaces were redesigned with creative and well engineered use of mirrors , reflective surfaces and glass to illuminate with minimal use of electric lights ? Imagine a scenario where 10 bulbs are sufficient to illuminate the entire floor of The Mall of The Emirates ? Far-fetched ? Possibly . Impossible ? Maybe not .
This would call for radical rethink by the design fraternity worldwide..possibly an unprecedented collaboration between environmentalists , designers , paint companies , glass and furniture manufacturers,real estate developers ,businesses and consumers (who inhabit/use the spaces) and of course light bulb and appliance manufacturers. As the saying goes ' a journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step ' .
If mankind has been able to (over the centuries up to the present day) create the exquisite , complex structures that adorn the face of this planet , then surely we have it within us to creatively and responsibly meet the challenges that we must individually and collectively shoulder to make this planet a nurturing space for centuries to come...

1 comment:

RAHUL AITHAL said...

good insight.. specially in the world we live in, there are so many basic things we tend to forget.we are in so much hurry all the time. there is nothing wrong in slowing things down a bit if it can help change the world.nobody and nothing is indispensable..

rahul