Far from Scilly

Twenty-eight miles west of Land’s End lies the UK’s southernmost point - the Isles of Scilly. Their remoteness and microclimate make the islands a popular holiday destination amongst British holidaymakers, who go in search of sun, solitude, and seal-watching. But their distance and relative isolation from the mainland extend beyond being a hidden tourist gem, and have enabled the isles to take part in a day-long energy-saving experiment.

Today is ‘E-day’, or ‘Energy Saving Day’, where 2000 islanders will conduct the first coordinated attempt by a community to reduce their electricity use and have the effects of their efforts measured in real-time. E-day will involve everyone turning off electrical items which do not need to be on, presenting an opportunity to measure collective energy saving and compare this with baseline conditions simultaneously experienced across the UK. The fact that a single undersea cable carries the electricity to the Scillys from the mainline makes it easier to measure the energy used in the course of the day.

The event is the culmination of the Isles of Scilly Earth Summit, which took place over the weekend and saw international, national and local islanders talk about the effects that climate change are having on their island. The hope is that the initiative will demonstrate that every little helps, and that from lightbulbs to LCDs, individual efforts can result in collective change.

For more information, go to http://e-day.org.uk