Lights, Camera, Sustainability: A Hostel’s Eco-Adventure with candlelight dinners and open theatre movie screening
In the heart of a bustling student hostel, my journey took an unexpected turn when a delayed Visa left me unable to travel to Milan. During this extended stay in India, I stumbled upon the 4kwh challenge, a call to lower energy consumption and embrace sustainable living. Determined to make a change, I decided to implement it at the hostel level.
As I observed the hostel’s energy habits, it became clear that students were consuming a substantial amount of electricity for entertainment, from video games to TV. I understood the importance of having leisure time and bonding with friends to relieve study pressure, but these moments often resulted in excessive power consumption.
One major contributor was the public dining spaces where lights blazed from early evening until late at night. The auditorium hosted thrice-weekly movie screenings, adding to the electricity usage due to air conditioning and large screens.
As a member of the student community, I proposed an innovative solution. To create a memorable dining experience with friends and reduce electricity consumption, we initiated a weekly candlelight dinner. For the entire day, we kept the lights off and dined by the soft glow of candles, savouring the soothing ambience.
To address the power consumption during movie screenings, I suggested open-air screenings. With no need for air conditioners, it added an element of fun to the experience. Now, these practices have become a weekly tradition, and everyone is not only saving energy but also enjoying the unique and eco-friendly atmosphere we’ve created.
In the face of challenges, our hostel has embraced sustainability and made every effort to reduce our energy consumption, proving that responsible living and memorable experiences can go hand in hand.
In the face of challenges, our hostel has embraced sustainability and made every effort to reduce our energy consumption, proving that responsible living and memorable experiences can go hand in hand.
