Stop Businesses From Wasting Air Conditioning!
- por: Sonia Putzel, Brooklyn Global Warming Outreach
- destinatário: Pass a law requiring stores and businesses in New York City to keep their doors shut while air conditioning is on.
Subject: Don't Let New York Stores Waste Energy!
Dear New York City Council Member:
I am writing in support of a local law, Int 32/ 2004, proposed by Council Member Gale Brewer to amend the administrative code of the city of New York in relation to the use of air conditioning systems. This amendment would make it unlawful to keep doors or windows of commercial buildings open while an air conditioning system is operating to cool the premises to which those doors or windows are attached, except for the normal ingress and egress of goods and persons, and in emergencies. The proposed law states that any violation of this rule would result in a penalty of two hundred dollars. I encourage you to set a date for a second hearing for this proposal before next summer. We need to pass this law as soon as possible.
According to the Long Island Power Authority, stores that leave their doors open while the air conditioning is on waste up to 25% of the power they use. Passing a law that requires stores to keep their doors closed could save hundreds of megawatts of power each year.
Some might argue that this law would prevent businesses from enticing customers into their stores. However, the current option of keeping doors open does more to harm businesses than to help them; not only does it waste energy that is in high demand during the summer, it also results in blackouts and brownouts that are costly for the city and for businesses and individuals. In addition to this, the current option of leaving doors open with air conditioning running inside penalizes businesses that choose to be environmentally friendly.
Blackouts and brownouts can be prevented by the more moderate use of power on very hot days. Whenever blackouts occur smaller businesses, especially grocery stores and other businesses that use refrigerators to maintain their goods, must bear proportionally greater losses. Hundreds of offices are rendered nonfunctional and individuals greatly inconvenienced. Many of the problems associated with these blackouts would occur far less frequently if we could cut down day-to-day energy usage.
Some shop managers might argue that being required to close their front entrances during business hours would reduce sales. However, if shoppers are indeed more likely to enter stores when they can feel cool air coming out of the door, then the city%u2019s current policy actually punishes some businesses%u2014 those that choose to be environmentally friendly%u2014by giving their "open-door" competitors an advantage in accessibility and advertising. Businesses should not be punished for having environmentally sound policies. In any case, requiring all stores to close their doors while running their air conditioners would not harm businesses because it would mean that no business would have an advantage over another. Small businesses would also benefit by saving expenses that make a big difference to their budgets which larger businesses can more easily absorb.
The most important reason to pass this law is to reduce the city%u2019s consumption of fossil fuels. The threat of global warming is growing more urgent every day. We need to do all that we can to mitigate this threat by cutting down on energy use wherever and whenever possible. Taking the simple measure of not propping doors open while running air conditioning would cost businesses nothing and make an enormous difference in New York City's energy usage. It would be a shame to pass up the opportunity of saving so much energy at almost no implementation cost. Passing this law is truly the least we can do in the face of this crisis.
For the sake of lowering the yearly cost of blackouts and brownouts to the city and to small businesses, for the sake of encouraging environmentally friendly businesses, and for the sake of our planet, please set a date for a second hearing for this proposal before next summer. We need to pass this law as soon as possible.
Thank you for all your hard work. Please see the attached sheets for a list of New Yorkers and New York business owners who believe this proposal should be made into law.
Sincerely,
Your Name Here
Subject: Save Energy in New York City!
Dear New York City Council Member or Chair:
We the undersigned are writing in support of a local law, Int 32/ 2004 proposed by Council Member Gale Brewer, to amend the administrative code of the city of New York in relation to the use of air conditioning systems. This amendment would make it unlawful to keep doors or windows of commercial buildings open while an air conditioning system is operating to cool the premises to which those doors or windows are attached, except for the normal ingress and egress of goods and persons, and in emergencies. The proposed law states that any violation of this rule would result in a penalty of two hundred dollars. I encourage you to set a date for a second hearing for this proposal before next summer. We need to pass this law as soon as possible.
According to the Long Island Power Authority, stores that leave their doors open while the air conditioning is on waste up to 25% of the power they use. Passing a law that requires stores to keep their doors closed could save hundreds of megawatts of power each year.
Some might argue that this law would prevent businesses from enticing customers into their stores. However, the current option of keeping doors open does more to harm businesses than to help them; not only does it waste energy that is in high demand during the summer, it also results in blackouts and brownouts that are costly for the city and for businesses and individuals. In addition to this, the current option of leaving doors open with air conditioning running inside penalizes businesses that choose to be environmentally friendly.
Blackouts and brownouts can be prevented by the more moderate use of power on very hot days. Whenever blackouts occur smaller businesses, especially grocery stores and other businesses that use refrigerators to maintain their goods, must bear proportionally greater losses. Hundreds of offices are rendered nonfunctional and individuals greatly inconvenienced. Many of the problems associated with these blackouts would occur far less frequently if we could cut down day-to-day energy usage.
Some shop managers might argue that being required to close their front entrances during business hours would reduce sales. However, if shoppers are indeed more likely to enter stores when they can feel cool air coming out of the door, then the city%u2019s current policy actually punishes some businesses%u2014 those that choose to be environmentally friendly%u2014by giving their "open-door" competitors an advantage in accessibility and advertising. Businesses should not be punished for having environmentally sound policies. In any case, requiring all stores to close their doors while running their air conditioners would not harm businesses because it would mean that no business would have an advantage over another. Small businesses would also benefit by saving expenses that make a big difference to their budgets which larger businesses can more easily absorb.
The most important reason to pass this law is to reduce the city%u2019s consumption of fossil fuels. The threat of global warming is growing more urgent every day. We need to do all that we can to mitigate this threat by cutting down on energy use wherever and whenever possible. Taking the simple measure of not propping doors open while running air conditioning would cost businesses nothing and make an enormous difference in New York City's energy usage. It would be a shame to pass up the opportunity of saving so much energy at almost no implementation cost. Passing this law is truly the least we can do in the face of this crisis.
For the sake of lowering the yearly cost of blackouts and brownouts to the city and to small businesses, for the sake of encouraging environmentally friendly businesses, and for the sake of our planet, please set a date for a second hearing for this proposal before next summer. We need to pass this law as soon as possible.
Thank you for all your hard work and for taking the time to read this letter. Please see the attached sheets for a list of New Yorkers and New York business owners who believe this proposal should be made into law.
Sincerely,
Your Name Here
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