Entertainment history is filled with an array of weird and wonderful businesses. But have you ever wondered what they’re doing about reaching net zero?
In case you missed it, we recently explored the efficiency of our favourite fictional homes. Now, we’re diving back down the rabbit hole to put fictional businesses under the efficiency microscope.
Energy efficiency in Wonka’s chocolate factory is as elusive as a golden ticket. He’s growing a temperature-controlled forest of edible plants - requiring an insane amount of artificial lighting. Not to mention the 24/7 security systems to protect the secret chocolate recipes.
My eyes are watering at the thought of the electricity bill for all Wonka’s wacky machinery. Though the constant operations would keep the place warm in winter.
Maybe there’s a hydropower station further down his chocolate river. Unless the factory is powered by pure imagination, this place is an energy efficiency nightmare.
This is an interesting one because Monsters Inc isn’t just an energy user, they’re the energy generator for the town of Monstropolis. They’ve got a pretty unique energy source too - scream energy (later replaced by, spoiler alert: laughter).
Credit where credit is due - no fossil fuels to be found here. But the question is, how well do they conserve it? Do they have any green initiatives? Are the monsters turning off the lights at the end of the scaring day?
Sure, they might not have double glazed windows, but they’ve cracked the code on renewable energy. Maybe we humans should look into harnessing the power of laughter. Who needs wind turbines when you’ve got a cracking knock-knock joke?
Let’s start with the obvious - Dunder Mifflin is a paper company, so it immediately loses a few green points out of the gate.
The Scranton office looks like it hasn’t had a renovation since the 90s, which doesn’t give me much confidence in their insulation effectiveness. And the thermostat wars between Oscar and the rest of the office probably isn’t doing the efficiency of the HVAC system any favours.
Let’s not forget the ancient desktop computers and the constantly jamming printer that Stanley huffs about daily - that drains more power than it’s worth. Perhaps it’s time to implement a paperless office. Can someone ask Corporate to send over some fresh laptops? The next conference room meeting should be about Dunder Mifflin’s new energy-saving initiatives. Michael Scott sure would make that presentation entertaining.
If there’s one thing about the Avengers, it’s that they love a gadget. Tony Stark has so much tech at his disposal, the Avengers tower is basically a monument to energy over-consumption.
The tower is made almost entirely of glass. Great for the vibe of a high-tech superhero headquarters...not so great for energy efficiency. Sure, it’d do wonders for the natural lighting, but insulation might be a big problem.
With all those suits and weapons, there’d be more chargers in there than a Tesla dealership - and probably running all day, every day to make sure they’re always ready to save the world. Tony should look into buying some GreenPower (Momentum could help him out there).
The wizards are a few decades (or centuries) behind muggle technology. They haven’t quite figured out email or text so they still use parchment delivered by owls for all communications. Not the most eco-friendly system - let’s at least hope they use both sides of the page.
The Ministry is underground, which is great for their natural temperature control. But not so much for natural lighting. Whatever is keeping magical candles going is working hard to keep them burning.
Imagine how much more powerful they could be if they got into solar energy to fuel their day-to-day operations. Why not channel their magic into more pressing issues and let renewable energy handle the basics? Even wizards could do with a few green initiatives.
A long time ago in a galaxy far far away, there was an energy efficient nightmare…
Does this count as a business? The Empire was sort of a government business, which would make Darth Vader a menacing public servant…so let’s go with yes.
The defence systems (laser beams, cannons, holding cells) have to be on 24/7 - there’s always enemies lurking around (or trying to escape). But keeping that much firepower on standby has to be a huge energy drain.
The Death Star is so big, there’s no way all the hallways are always in use. Motion sensor lights could do wonders for energy saving in the quieter areas of the place. Plus, it’d give the stormtroopers a heads up when there’s pesky rebels trying to sneak aboard.
The biggest culprit onboard has to be the planet-destroying super laser. Sure, it’s one way to become the most powerful in all the galaxy - but holy Yoda that thing is an energy black hole. Perhaps Darth could look into some kinetic flooring, so the marching of stormtroopers would generate energy to power the station. At least they’ve got the trash compactor to keep space junk to a minimum, even if I find their lack of recycling disturbing.
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