A Kyoto in every home

The number of doomsday reports about global warming seems to be rising with the same ferocity as sea levels. When wading through the bad news, it’s easy to feel powerless. The advantage of shutting down your laptop at night, say, or doing your part to save energy in other ways can seem so minimal as to be futile. How can your puny personal attempt at conservation make a difference? It’s elementary: Wattson.

Wattson measures your energy use so you can figure out how to use less. Through a wireless transmitter that plugs into your electrical system at home, Wattson calculates consumption, highlighting the areas where energy is wasted. As its name implies, the device figures usage in watts—and also in dollars, euros or pounds, if desired. Its colour-coded energy management makes goodwill practical. An increase in consumption triggers a change in colour, like a mood ring for a sustainable future. Wattson, which starts at about $300, doesn’t appeal exclusively to your ethics either. Obviously, reducing waste cuts costs in the long run. And its sleek, retro-futurist design is easy on the eye as well.

According to Greta Corke, one of the founders of Wattson’s parent company DIY KYOTO, the invention “allows individuals to set their own standards” about climate change, instead of waiting for institutions or governments. Between its high style and its economic advantages, Wattson makes your own Kyoto protocols much more attainable.

Find out more: www.diykyoto.com