Do you remember? A group of pink plush bunnies with small drums in front of the pink bellies is marching and drumming. Little by little, the bunnies run out of battery power. Only one drums longer: It is the Duracell bunny. It has become a symbol of endurance and energy all over the world.
By Alessandro della Vedova*
The Graubünden heraldic animal may not be a pink hare, but quite a few Graubünden see in our Capricorn an animal with infinite energy. The hydropower of our rivers and lakes produces a total of around three times more energy than we consume ourselves. And what's more: Thanks to new pumped storage plants, we could become Switzerland's battery, and even Europe's battery. But without electricity from nuclear, coal, oil or gas, even the Bündner pumped storage power plants would not function.
Wind energy from ocean shores is not yet a solution, and wind farms and solar power plants in Switzerland will not save the phase-out of nuclear energy simply for reasons of landscape protection. You can be happy with the verdict of the people of Graubünden on the coal-fired power plant issue or not: The long voting campaign and the many discussions have made it clear to the population that there is also a downside to the energy revolution, and that is fossil.
At some point, every hare will run out of power
However, if we seriously want to phase out nuclear energy, we must therefore also rethink our thinking on the consumer side. Because even the strongest battery bunny will run out of power at some point if it doesn't handle it responsibly. There are already a variety of devices and systems that consume less energy. However, they are often more expensive than the old energy guzzlers. In addition to the state and industry, municipalities and private individuals must also realise that the energy transition costs us money in the short term.
Poschiavo has already had this experience: A law passed two years ago to promote energy efficiency has become a paper tiger. The municipal budget is in deficit; expenditure was distributed differently. The implementation of the law had to be postponed, otherwise the municipality would have had to reduce services that would have been painful for the population from a social point of view. Unfortunately, the example is emblematic: When goodwill collides with harsh reality, priorities are suddenly set completely differently.
Don't sweep the dirt under the carpet
Saving electricity alone cannot handle the energy revolution: The Fukushima disaster reminded us of the dangers of nuclear technology in a very painful way, but the controversial discussions about the energy transition have also made it clear that we must replace nuclear power first before we can shut down nuclear power plants. Nevertheless, the energy canton of Grisons is struggling to implement the energy revolution.
Fighting against supposedly dirty energy generation abroad may be a noble project, but the “Grisons Battery” with its pumped storage lakes simply does not work without electricity from outside, not even the project for Lake Bianco, which has been praised by all sides. Shifting environmental pollution across national borders cannot be a solution any more than turning a blind eye to reality. As an alternative to nuclear power, we must accept fossil fuels, at least temporarily.
Ignoring the fossil side of our energy revolution would mean simply sweeping the dirt from our energy consumption under the carpet. However, this does not solve the problem either.
*Alessandro della Vedova (43) is Podestà of the municipality of Poschiavo, CVP Grand Councillor and Vice President of CVP Grisons.
This guest commentary was published in Engadiner Post/Posta Ladina on October 1, 2013.
The Internet to wear
Smartphones and new generations of devices are connecting us ever more closely to the Internet. This connectivity influences the consumer behavior of our customers and guests. Companies would do well to adapt to a new generation of mobile media users, because in the end, their reputation is at stake.
“Wearable devices” mean a whole range of new electronic devices that you can wear and therefore always carry around with you.
The smartwatch, for example, was one of the top topics at the IFA electronics trade fair, which closed its doors in Berlin last Wednesday. Although you can tell the time on these “watches”, you can also make phone calls, email, watch videos, listen to music and much more. The new microcomputers on the wrist should bring the Internet even closer to users. The “Google Glass” glasses come even closer than the clock. Equipped with a camera and a kind of mini screen in the lens, these glasses connect everything you see directly with data from the Internet.
At a party, for example, the camera can capture another guest's face, and thanks to facial recognition and an Internet connection, Google Glass finds the guest's name in no time. It is shown directly into the eyeglass wearer's field of vision via the screen. Gone are the days when you no longer knew a name...
Mobile First!
Mobile use of Internet content will continue to develop rapidly. Whether on the watch, in glasses, in a car, on an airplane or in a very mundane way on a mobile phone or tablet computer: More and more data is being consumed on the move, and more and more companies are responding and thinking about using their websites on the go. “Mobile Internet users want to obtain information particularly quickly and easily. Websites for mobile devices must be even clearer, texts even shorter and more crisp,” explains communications specialist Fabrizio D'Aloisio from the agency “Spot Werbung” in St. Moritz.
“On the go, you usually don't have the time to rummage through websites for minutes and read long texts. The screens are also smaller than at home or in the office.” “At the start of the coming winter season, we are launching our own website for mobile devices, because mobile use of our website has risen from just under three to over 20 percent within three years,” explains tourism director Urs Wohler from Engadin Scuol Samnaun Val Müstair. “Guests are now also accessing the mobile web during their stay.
While they were quietly researching how to get there, hotels or sports offers at home, they spontaneously search for restaurant addresses, opening hours, events or tips for trips during their stay.”
It's the right thing. At the right price.
“Even guests who have a high budget want to be sure that they are buying the right thing at the right price. Our guests therefore also use their smartphones in our stores to get information about our products. In doing so, they are certainly also making price comparisons,” says Conradin Conrad. His family runs the Corvatsch ski service with 13 branches in the Upper Engadine has made a virtue out of apparent necessity: In its larger branches, there is not only a free Internet connection via wireless LAN, but guests also borrow an iPad to surf the Internet.
“Mobile first” is the order of the day, even in business. The ability to surf the Internet is also becoming increasingly popular outside of hotel rooms and restaurants. When asked what that may cost, a survey of Engadin hoteliers, tourism experts, hosts and businesses provides only one answer: nothing, of course. Today's guests regard Internet connectivity as a basic service, such as the television in the hotel room.
The moment counts more and more
However, the permanent Internet connection not only allows customers to retrieve data: It is also possible to upload texts or images anytime and anywhere. The beautifully presented starter plate finds its way onto the Internet just like the sunrise, the friendly service or the friendly bus driver.
Immediate impressions increasingly determine the reputation of a company on the Internet. And you can't buy yourself a good reputation, you have to earn it. For companies in all sectors, this means that they would do well to focus even more consistently on their customers.
Current seminar on this topic
October 29 and 30 in Scuol and Pontresina. Information here.