Explore speaking: A greener alternative? Topic area: Environment Focus: Presenting an eco-product / green lifestyles Situation: You are an intern at a company selling electronic bikes. Your company has a stand at the GreenTech fair, where you give a short presentation for interested customers. Individual long turn (4–5 minutes): You should: ■■ describe the product. ■■ point out the special offer your company offers to customers at the fair. ■■ argue the advantages of individualised but green transport. home about blog Feeds: posts comments Unplugging from the grid “I haven’t paid an electricity bill since 1970,” says Richard Perez with noticeable glee. He can afford to be smug. He lives “off-grid” – unconnected to the power grid and the water, gas and sewerage supplies that most of us rely on. He generates his own electricity, sources his own water and manages his own waste disposal – and prefers it that way. “There are times when the grid blacks out,” he says. “I like the security of having my own electricity company.” Perez is not alone. Once the preserve of mavericks, hippies and survivalists, there are now approximately 200,000 off-grid households in the US, a figure that Perez says has been increasing by a third every year for the past decade. For people who live off-grid, self-sufficiency means guilt-free energy consumption and peace of mind. “It feels brilliant to use clean, free energy that’s not from fossil fuels,” says Suzanne Galant, a writer who lives off-grid in rural Wales. “And if something goes wrong, we can fix it ourselves.” Now even urbanites are seeing the appeal of generating some if not all of their own power needs. So is energy freedom an eco pipe-dream or the ultimate good life? Well, there’s only one way to find out: begin to explore the possibilities of solar, wind or hydro-power. But unless you live on a sunny, south-facing hillside with access to a nearby river or stream, that might prove prohibitively expensive! There is no doubt that being off-grid has its problems, and it is not always the cheapest way to get your energy. Even so, pioneers like Perez have proved that it can be done, and without giving up a 21st-century lifestyle: “I’ve got five computers, two laser scanners, two fridge-freezers, a microwave, a convection oven, vacuum cleaners – you name it,” says Perez. “There’s an external beam antenna on the roof for the phone and a satellite dish for an internet connection. I’ve got 70 kWh in batteries that could last me five days. I have too much electricity.” Too much electricity and no more bills. That’s got to be worth aiming for. 30 153 Language skills Extras Explore 11 Saving the world Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv
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