Dangers of using too much energy

SINGAPORE - If one were to close the doors and windows of a room, one would still find dust on the floor ("Clearing the air over PM2.5 purifiers"; last Sunday).

I live on the 18th floor of a block facing an MRT construction site, with traffic from a major road swirling up dust. My family mops the floors daily and keeps the windows closed throughout the day when we are at work. But when we return in the evening, a layer of dust has formed.

So how does the dust enter when the windows and doors are shut? Well, the doors have a 2cm gap at the bottom. If I look closely at the areas between the windows and lattices, I can see dust trapped there. So, wind carrying dust can enter through these areas.

Using electric air cleaners to try and "purify" the air, especially those that need powerful fans to overcome the back pressure created by high-efficiency particulate air filters, is unwise. The generation of electricity causes global warming from carbon dioxide released at the power station.

Humans are already using too much energy for comfort. We use air-conditioners to "condition" the air, and now we even have to "clean" the air we breathe.

Humans are heading for self-destruction at this rate.

This article was published on April 13 in The Straits Times.

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