Al-Masry al-Youm, Egypt, Originally posted in Arabic on August 21
During a recent visit to Damascus, I discovered a small sign placed on my hotel bed. It read: “Help us conserve water and detergent. Please place this card on your bed when your sheets do not need washing. Your bed will still be made.”
In another room, at a hotel in Morocco, I noticed a copper-framed placard, above the bathroom tap, reminding guests that every single drop of water matters. It asked them to only open the faucet when they are using the water.
A few years ago, in one of my meetings at the U.S. Department of State, I noticed a sign hanging on the bathroom wall. It asked visitors to turn off the lights upon leaving the restrooms. Following one of my meetings, I noticed the Assistant Secretary leaving the bathroom, and putting his notes aside to turn off the lights. We are yet to adopt such public commitment to energy conservation in Egypt.
Several years ago, Electricity Minister Mohammad Shaker announced that Egypt could maintain a surplus of electricity if every household shuts down one single light bulb. He explained that Egypt could avoid building a new power plant with the simple help of every citizen. His proposal is no different to what I’ve seen in Damascus, Tangier, or Washington.
The only difference is that, in Egypt, we fail to rationalize these public calls. We fail at launching media campaigns, or explaining why it is that conservation matters. We don’t create urgency. We must learn to explain to the people what practical measures they can take to conserve energy. Only when they know what to do and understand how it benefits themselves and their nation will people behave rationally on their own. – Sliman Jawda