why do i bother?

quentin delivered a great little device to me last night. a power meter so you can tell how much power a device uses. i’ve been busily testing things in our house, working out where we can save a few watts. i already religiously turn off energy efficient light bulbs, and don’t leave things on stand-by…

….but then i read this article in the guardian about dubai. the scale of the construction going on there is mind-blowing. before i go down the pub to diffuse the futility of my actions i’ll share a few choice quotes with you:

“It is said that a fifth of the world’s cranes are now at work here. An army of some 250,000 men, largely from India and Pakistan, are labouring to create the new glimmer fantasy…”

“The World Bank reckons that the reconstruction of Iraq is going to cost $53bn. Here, along the strip of footballer-friendly sand that stretches 25 miles or so along the shores of the Persian Gulf, there is, at a rough estimate, about $100bn worth of projects either underway or planned for the near future.”

“There’s to be an underwater hotel ($500m). One indoor ski resort, with real snow and its own black run, exists already, a weird, looming presence on the city’s southern skyline. There is to be a second, with a revolving mountain. Plans are mooted for a Chess City, with 32 tower blocks of 64 floors…”

“300 artificial islands made of sand dredged from the sea floor and either dumped or pumped into forms that vaguely mimic the shape of the world’s continents. Every week between five and 10 million cubic metres of sand are delivered to the site. The islands will cost up to $30m each, and that is for the sand alone.”

view the real estate video here…

oops – must go – i think i might have left the 9 watt light on in the bathroom….