Our domestic electronic devices use an increasing amount of power. About 25 per cent of global electricity consumption is residential: heating or cooling homes, refrigeration, freezing, washing and drying – and that's before we begin to consider the wealth of gadgetry that's slowly becoming vital to the way we live.
But while these gadgets consume power when they're being used, they also eat it up when they're idle. The cost of standby mode, when devices wait to be turned on or woken up, has long been a cause for concern among environmental campaigners and at the end of last month, the chief executive of Sony Interactive Entertainment, Jim Ryan, made a statement to address the criticism levelled at Sony's PlayStation 4 games console.
He pledged that Sony's next console would allow users to "suspend gameplay" and only draw an estimated 0.5 watts of power. "If only one million users enable this feature, it would save the equivalent of the average electricity use of 1,000 US homes," he said.
His statement was part of a an initiative by the UN in partnership with the videogame industry, called Playing for the Planet Alliance. A variety of pledges, from Google promising to include "green nudges" within gameplay to Ubisoft sourcing materials from eco-friendly factories, were revealed at its launch.
But the comparatively mundane problem of standby power is significant, given the many millions of consoles that are, at any given time, plugged in but unused. Both PlayStation and Microsoft's Xbox have been criticised for the power they draw while doing nothing, gauged at 8.5W and 12W, respectively. In 2014, it was estimated that American gamers were collectively spending $400 million (Dh1.5 billion) a year to power their consoles in standby mode.
Here's why going idle is a problem
Awareness of the problem of standby power began to grow at about the turn of the century, when the International Energy Agency launched the One Watt Initiative, the aim of which was to ensure that all new gadgets drew less than 1W of power on standby by 2010.
This problem has always been one of small numbers that become alarming when they're multiplied. In 2007, the agency estimated that standby power was responsible for about 1 per cent of the world's carbon dioxide emissions – about 33 per cent of the amount produced by global air travel. For their part, consumers have been paying anywhere between 10 and 15 per cent of their electricity bills for gadgets to merely display a digital clock, update software or prepare themselves for when they are next used. The One Watt Initiative was broadly successful, in that the standby power of most new devices is down to less than 0.5W. But many power guzzlers still remain, thanks to loopholes in regulations introduced as a consequence of the initiative.
"Where standby power regulations exist, they often allow a much higher value for products with network connectivity," says Noah Horowitz, a director at the US Natural Resources Defence Council. "Cable and satellite set-top boxes draw near full power levels even when the user is neither watching nor recording a show. In the US alone, they consume roughly a billion dollars a year worth of electricity each year when in standby mode."
The list of culprits is long, and includes modems, networking equipment, 24/7 LED lights, amplifiers, printers and copiers. "The total energy use of all the installed devices can really add up when you account for the billions of devices out there, coupled with the 20-plus hours a day most of them spend in standby mode," says Horowitz.
Why we chose to go idle rather than just turn off
What's preventing us from simply turning them off? What value does standby mode have, such that manufacturers enable it and we choose to use it? The answer, unsurprisingly, is human impatience. We don't like waiting for gadgets to boot up; we like them to be ready to do our bidding. We want them to to be fully charged, ready to go and having fully anticipated our needs since we last used them. Again, games consoles provide a good example. A 2015 report into the Xbox found that listening for the "Xbox on" command, which wakes the unit while in standby, was responsible for drawing 12.5W of standby power. It was possible to disable this in the console's "energy saving" settings, but the wording on the screen listed two consequences of using this less power-hungry standby mode – "slower start-up time" and "get interrupted for updates". Saving power was equated with inconvenience.
We need to make sure manufacturers put sufficient time and effort into designing their products so that they perform well and use as little energy as possible, both as stand-alone products and when connected to others.
The growing use of voice control and virtual assistants has caused otherwise energy-efficient devices to adopt bad habits, the NRDC says. They found that linking Amazon's Alexa or Google Assistant to a TV, to turn it on using a simple voice command, could raise the power consumption from less than 1W to more than 20W. "We need to make sure manufacturers put sufficient time and effort into designing their products so that they perform well and use as little energy as possible, both as stand-alone products and when connected to others," says Horowitz.
This kind of connectivity is crucial to the smooth operation of the so-called Internet of Things, in which all devices quietly talk to each other to create the optimum environment for the people living within it. But there is a cost of all those gadgets becoming data driven and the agency estimates that network-related standby energy use could grow by 20 per cent per year in the next five years.
The environmental cost of smart technology and AI is usually discussed with reference to the colossal data centres that are housed in buildings as big as 93,000 square metres and are predicted to be responsible for 20 per cent of global energy consumption by 2025. But the cost of powering our devices simply to be alert, while small in comparison, is still "staggeringly high", Horowitz says. Switching devices off or enabling energy saving settings could, he says, save billions from a nation's annual utility bill and millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions. Modern technology may be magically convenient, but there are hidden costs that are very real.
The six points:
1. Ministers should be in the field, instead of always at conferences
2. Foreign diplomacy must be left to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation
3. Emiratisation is a top priority that will have a renewed push behind it
4. The UAE's economy must continue to thrive and grow
5. Complaints from the public must be addressed, not avoided
6. Have hope for the future, what is yet to come is bigger and better than before
The cost of Covid testing around the world
Egypt
Dh514 for citizens; Dh865 for tourists
Information can be found through VFS Global.
Jordan
Dh212
Centres include the Speciality Hospital, which now offers drive-through testing.
Cambodia
Dh478
Travel tests are managed by the Ministry of Health and National Institute of Public Health.
Zanzibar
AED 295
Zanzibar Public Health Emergency Operations Centre, located within the Lumumba Secondary School compound.
Abu Dhabi
Dh85
Abu Dhabi’s Seha has test centres throughout the UAE.
UK
From Dh400
Heathrow Airport now offers drive through and clinic-based testing, starting from Dh400 and up to Dh500 for the PCR test.
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The National in Davos
We are bringing you the inside story from the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, a gathering of hundreds of world leaders, top executives and billionaires.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
8 UAE companies helping families reduce their carbon footprint
Greenheart Organic Farms
This Dubai company was one of the country’s first organic farms, set up in 2012, and it now delivers a wide array of fruits and vegetables grown regionally or in the UAE, as well as other grocery items, to both Dubai and Abu Dhabi doorsteps.
www.greenheartuae.com
Modibodi
Founded in Australia, Modibodi is now in the UAE with waste-free, reusable underwear that eliminates the litter created by a woman’s monthly cycle, which adds up to approximately 136kgs of sanitary waste over a lifetime.
www.modibodi.ae
The Good Karma Co
From brushes made of plant fibres to eco-friendly storage solutions, this company has planet-friendly alternatives to almost everything we need, including tin foil and toothbrushes.
www.instagram.com/thegoodkarmaco
Re:told
One Dubai boutique, Re:told, is taking second-hand garments and selling them on at a fraction of the price, helping to cut back on the hundreds of thousands of tonnes of clothes thrown into landfills each year.
www.shopretold.com
Lush
Lush provides products such as shampoo and conditioner as package-free bars with reusable tins to store.
www.mena.lush.com
Bubble Bro
Offering filtered, still and sparkling water on tap, Bubble Bro is attempting to ensure we don’t produce plastic or glass waste. Founded in 2017 by Adel Abu-Aysha, the company is on track to exceeding its target of saving one million bottles by the end of the year.
www.bubble-bro.com
Coethical
This company offers refillable, eco-friendly home cleaning and hygiene products that are all biodegradable, free of chemicals and certifiably not tested on animals.
www.instagram.com/coethical
Eggs & Soldiers
This bricks-and-mortar shop and e-store, founded by a Dubai mum-of-four, is the place to go for all manner of family products – from reusable cloth diapers to organic skincare and sustainable toys.
www.eggsnsoldiers.com
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
Low turnout
Two months before the first round on April 10, the appetite of voters for the election is low.
Mathieu Gallard, account manager with Ipsos, which conducted the most recent poll, said current forecasts suggested only two-thirds were "very likely" to vote in the first round, compared with a 78 per cent turnout in the 2017 presidential elections.
"It depends on how interesting the campaign is on their main concerns," he told The National. "Just now, it's hard to say who, between Macron and the candidates of the right, would be most affected by a low turnout."
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Batti Gul Meter Chalu
Producers: KRTI Productions, T-Series
Director: Sree Narayan Singh
Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Divyenndu Sharma, Yami Gautam
Rating: 2/5
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The biog
Name: Salvador Toriano Jr
Age: 59
From: Laguna, The Philippines
Favourite dish: Seabass or Fish and Chips
Hobbies: When he’s not in the restaurant, he still likes to cook, along with walking and meeting up with friends.
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
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Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sept 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
The biog
Siblings: five brothers and one sister
Education: Bachelors in Political Science at the University of Minnesota
Interests: Swimming, tennis and the gym
Favourite place: UAE
Favourite packet food on the trip: pasta primavera
What he did to pass the time during the trip: listen to audio books
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
