Old K says every week – talking about things in the petrochemical design industry. Post 47: Energy conservation and emission reduction require reducing waste and optimizing society...

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This post was last edited by henglinkou on May 11, 2021, at 09:46. “Old K’s Weekly Talks” – Post No. 47: Topics related to the petrochemical design industry. Energy conservation and emission reduction should be promoted; waste must be minimized and societal operations optimized. With societal development, humanity’s exploitation of Earth’s resources and environmental degradation have reached alarming levels. Consequently, energy conservation, emission reduction, and environmental protection are receiving increasing attention. It is humans who are responsible for environmental degradation, and their endless pursuit of higher living standards is the root cause. An improvement in living standards inevitably leads to an increase in per capita energy consumption. This rise in energy consumption, in turn, results in greater carbon emissions. If all countries in the world were to reach the same level as the United States, the total energy consumption would be enormous. Humans are constantly seeking new energy sources, but so far, there is no perfect method. In our daily lives, waste occurs everywhere—from individuals to families, to organizations and beyond. Examples include food waste, excessive spending during events like 520, 618, and Singles’ Day, ostentatious displays of wealth, extravagant weddings and funerals, excessive packaging of goods, substandard products that have a short lifespan or are unusable and thus discarded. There’s also the practice of doctors prescribing unnecessary medications to earn more commissions; corrupt officials who waste hundreds of thousands of yuan just to obtain a mere ten thousand yuan for themselves. Roads are built only to be torn up again, houses are constructed only to be demolished later; vacancy rates for housing remain high, there’s an oversupply of products, and monopolistic industries that reap exorbitant profits pay no heed to energy conservation. All these forms of waste directly or indirectly contribute to increased carbon emissions and environmental pollution. In terms of the operation of society, the biggest problem at present is still inefficient or unreasonable management as well as inadequate planning, **which increases the costs associated with societal operations.** A task that could originally be completed in one go has to be done multiple times due to inefficiency or human factors; this is the consequence of inefficient or unreasonable management. Everyone must have experienced this: in the last century, many people walked to work, but nowadays many rely on cars for commuting, with distances ranging from a few kilometers to dozens of kilometers; traffic jams are also common. This phenomenon has spread from large cities to smaller ones as well, and the resulting increase in carbon emissions is substantial. The main reason for long commutes is unreasonable planning; many cities now have what are known as \"sleeping towns.\" In Beijing, areas such as Hui Long Guan and Tiantongyuan, which are primarily made up of affordable housing, are collectively referred to as the \"Huitian\" area. The population living there has now exceeded 800,000 people, leading to traffic congestion and difficulties in finding parking. During commuting hours, subway stations are packed with people, and those waiting to board the trains form long queues; it often takes more than ten minutes just to get on the train, with passengers being squeezed so tightly that they seem to be floating in the air. Reducing energy consumption and emissions and creating a better living environment require the joint efforts of everyone and society. To protect the Earth’s environment on which we depend for survival, humanity must awaken from vanity, hesitation, and sin. Tip: Everyone can enter “Old K’s Weekly Talks – Stories from the petrochemical design industry” in the website’s search engine to view previously posted articles