Practical Sustainability Strategies, 2nd Edition

PREFACE OF GEORGE P. NASSOS

About 40 years ago, I had the fortune to work for a subsidiary of an American international chemical company that was headquartered in Cologne, Germany. While experiencing many great times during the three years I lived in Europe, there were a few that stood out because of their impact on the natural environment and energy efficiency. Here are three that I will never forget as they planted the seed in my interest in sustainability.

1. I was walking to the subway and had to take the escalator to the lower level. When I arrived for the first time, I was disappointed that the escalator was not operating. So I did what I would normally do under such a circumstance—walk down the stationary escalator. As soon as I took the first step to walk down, the escalator started and continued to operate until I reached my destination. With no one else on the escalator, it stopped when I got off. There was a pressure switch under the first step that activated the motor. That really made sense. Why should it be operating when no one was using the escalator?
2. I was participating in a business meeting at a high-rise office building in the La Defense suburb of Paris. Sitting in a conference room on about the 40th floor with nothing but windows on the outside wall, I couldn't help but notice that from time to time the lights would go off and later come back on. After witnessing this occurrence two or three times, I asked the hosts if they were having problems with their electrical ...