Rapid responses are electronic comments to the editor. They enable our users
to debate issues raised in articles published on bmj.com. A rapid response
is first posted online. If you need the URL (web address) of an individual
response, simply click on the response headline and copy the URL from the
browser window. A proportion of responses will, after editing, be published
online and in the print journal as letters, which are indexed in PubMed.
Rapid responses are not indexed in PubMed and they are not journal articles.
The BMJ reserves the right to remove responses which are being
wilfully misrepresented as published articles or when it is brought to our
attention that a response spreads misinformation.
From March 2022, the word limit for rapid responses will be 600 words not
including references and author details. We will no longer post responses
that exceed this limit.
The word limit for letters selected from posted responses remains 300 words.
Politicians have, inherently, the flaws of the people who select and elect them.
How far should people try to keep energy consumption to the minimum?
All night neon signs are danger to birds, upsetting their biology by harsh light when it should be the dark of the night. Even signalling of fireflies gets affected.
The night-owl types endanger themselves to be prey to obesity, metabolic syndrome, fertility problems and much more. The old saying "Early to bed and early to rise makes one healthy wealthy and wise" is banished as obsolete. People want night joints kept open for longer and longer periods.
The games that can be very well played during the day are shifted to nights, for example, floodlight night cricket.
Fuel consumption is no exception.
Even if solar energy, wind energy or any other form of sustainable energy is harnessed, they will have their hidden environmental costs.
Minerals required for production of solar panels have to be mined, which requires energy input, and mining harms environment. The electrical cables for the the distribution of electricity again need minerals to be mined.
Our lives have become energy intensive. Per-capita energy consumption must have risen many times over the past century. The world population also must also have increased similarly over the past century.
When everything is put together, averting or overturning the energy crisis is easier said than done.
Arvind Joshi,
MBBS MD FCGP FAMS.
Competing interests:
No competing interests
04 September 2022
Arvind Joshi
Social Work
Our Own Discussion Group Mumbai PIN 400028, Ruchi Clinical Laboratory and Ruchi Diagnostic Centre Kharghar PIN 410210 Maharashtra India
Mumbai PIN 400028, Kharghar PIN 410210, Maharashtra India
People and Politicians - Re: After covid, politicians are failing us again over the energy crisis
Dear Editor,
Politicians have, inherently, the flaws of the people who select and elect them.
How far should people try to keep energy consumption to the minimum?
All night neon signs are danger to birds, upsetting their biology by harsh light when it should be the dark of the night. Even signalling of fireflies gets affected.
The night-owl types endanger themselves to be prey to obesity, metabolic syndrome, fertility problems and much more. The old saying "Early to bed and early to rise makes one healthy wealthy and wise" is banished as obsolete. People want night joints kept open for longer and longer periods.
The games that can be very well played during the day are shifted to nights, for example, floodlight night cricket.
Fuel consumption is no exception.
Even if solar energy, wind energy or any other form of sustainable energy is harnessed, they will have their hidden environmental costs.
Minerals required for production of solar panels have to be mined, which requires energy input, and mining harms environment. The electrical cables for the the distribution of electricity again need minerals to be mined.
Our lives have become energy intensive. Per-capita energy consumption must have risen many times over the past century. The world population also must also have increased similarly over the past century.
When everything is put together, averting or overturning the energy crisis is easier said than done.
Arvind Joshi,
MBBS MD FCGP FAMS.
Competing interests: No competing interests