19th February is the National Saving Energy Day, “M’illumino di meno” which is held each year in Italy when people try out various systems that visibly show that they are attempting to save energy. The campaign was launched by the Italian radio programme Caterpillar in 2005 and seeks to reduce private and public energy use. During its annual awareness-raising day, individuals and organisations are asked to make a symbolic gesture of support by switching off lights and all other non-vital electrical devices powered by non-renewable energy sources. This year, the campaign also encourages switching on lights from renewable sources.
The lights that normally illuminate many national monuments in Rome and Milano will be switched off to “highlight” this attempt at saving energy on a large scale.
Here in Barga, for the tenth year running, Aristo’s bar joined in and switched off the lights for the evening and instead turning to candle power to keep the dark at bay and once again they used the well tried and tested, bicycle powered music system.
A bicycle with dynamos attached to the rear wheel was connected up to a red light over the heads of The Aristodemo’s.
If somebody mounted the bike and pedalled, the red light came on …. and the band played. If the cyclist stopped, the red light went out and the music stopped.
A very simple mechanism which kept the band on its toes all evening as a constant stream of ready and willing volunteers jumped on the bike to keep the music flowing.
IL DECALOGO DI M’ILLUMINO DI MENO
Buone abitudini per la giornata di M’illumino di Meno (e anche dopo!)1. spegnere le luci quando non servono
2. spegnere e non lasciare in stand by gli apparecchi elettronici
3. sbrinare frequentemente il frigorifero; tenere la serpentina pulita e distanziata dal muro in modo che possa circolare l’aria
4. mettere il coperchio sulle pentole quando si bolle l’acqua ed evitare sempre che la fiamma sia più ampia del fondo della pentola
5. se si ha troppo caldo abbassare i termosifoni invece di aprire le finestre
6. ridurre gli spifferi degli infissi riempiendoli di materiale che non lascia passare aria
7. utilizzare le tende per creare intercapedini davanti ai vetri, gli infissi, le porte esterne
8. non lasciare tende chiuse davanti ai termosifoni
9. inserire apposite pellicole isolanti e riflettenti tra i muri esterni e i termosifoni
10. utilizzare l’automobile il meno possibile e se necessario condividerla con chi fa lo stesso tragitto.
M’illumino di meno | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2014 |