#InternationalDayofHappiness2021:
You, the United Nations,
and How To Make the World a Happier Place
Every Time You Charge Your Phone
It’s that time of year again - yes, it’s the International Day of Happiness this Saturday, March 20th!
It’s a lovely sounding holiday that, on first impression, can also seem strange and manufactured. Shouldn’t every day be happy? Why is a specific holiday for happiness necessary?
What you may not know is the day has serious pedigree. Since 2013, the United Nations has celebrated International Day of Happiness on March 20th as a day to raise awareness about the importance of happiness for health and well-being. And most importantly, it’s a day to remember and recommit to the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
What are the United Nation’s
Sustainable Development Goals?
In the UN’s words, the goals “seek to end poverty, reduce inequality, and protect our planet – three key aspects that lead to well-being and happiness.” Ambitious yet achievable, they would transform our world. And the UN has set a deadline to achieve all of them by 2030.
So, how can you support the Sustainable Development goals? We’ve chosen three goals, all related to your life with technology, that you can support every time you charge your phone.
Sustainable Development
Goal 7:
Affordable and clean energy
Why should I care?
If you’re reading these words, you probably can’t imagine life without a smartphone. However, 13% of the world still does not have access to modern electricity.
What are the consequences:
A stable supply of electricity is vital for a country to grow economically. Without it, water needs to be gathered by hand (demanding and time-consuming work that almost always is done by women and girls). Refrigeration for vaccines and perishable food is impossible. Business can’t grow in a global marketplace. And, of course, without electricity, there’s no access to the internet and its wealth of freely available knowledge and resources.
How can I support this Goal?
Countries can support affordable and clean energy for all by transitioning themselves to renewable energy sources. On the level of a private citizen, you can push your lawmakers to support clean energy legislation, and vote them in at the ballot box.
Prioritize energy efficient habits at home. Turn off lights when not in use. Switch to a green energy company for your household electricity. Plugging electrical devices into power strips (and then turning off the power strips completely when not in use) can really help. And especially, cut down on carbon emissions by choosing walking, bicycling, or public transportation when possible.
Einova and Sustainable Development Goal 7
Every time you charge a device, an AC/DC power adapter converts energy from the AC wall power to energy that your device can use. What you may not know: most standard power adapters are incredibly inefficient at this conversion!
The Sirius 65W Universal Power Adapter with Einova’s EcoVoltas technology can help you scoop up this unnecessarily wasted energy. When you use Sirius, 93% of energy taken from wall power is used by your device.
Sustainable Development
Goal 12:
Sustainable consumption and production patterns
Why should I care?
Because we’re outgrowing our planet. If our population continues to increase at the current rate, by 2030, we’ll need the equivalent of three Earths to sustain 2020 consumption levels.
What are the consequences:
By transitioning to a thoughtful, resource-savvy society, we have the opportunity to rethink our consumer product lifecycle and recommit to multinational environment pacts.
How can I support this Goal?
There are many small things that really do make a big difference when adopted at scale. One of the simplest is choosing an energy-efficient lightbulb: if the entire world did so, global savings would equal $120 billion USD annually.
Reduce your food waste. When you have the option, choose a reusable alternative. Keep a set of canvas bags by the door to use for shopping. Refuse single-use plastic, whether that’s in the form of carrying your own cutlery set or politely asking your server to leave the straw out of your drink.
Einova and Sustainable Development Goal 12
Electronic waste is a concerning part of the problem Goal 12 is seeking to solve. A key issue of the problem lies in the alphabet soup of charging ports and charging standards. Luckily, the USB-C standar is a big step forward. The versatile charging standard is perfect for both large and small devices (smartphones, laptops, tablets, and more).
More and more devices are switching, or having already switched, to the USB-C standard. By using a USB-C Power Delivery charger (like Sirius 65W Universal Power Adapter) you can use just a single charger and a single cable to charge up all your electronic devices.
But what about charging your USB-A devices? There’s no need to chuck them. (Which also: you shouldn’t do anyway! Electronics need to be taken to your local electronics recycling facility, not thrown in the trash). With the simple addition of a USB-C female to USB-A male adapter tip, a USB-C PD adapter can charge them, too.
Sustainable Development
Goal 13:
Take urgent action on climate change
Why should I care?
Though there are some encouraging headlines about improved air quality due to the pandemic, the climate crisis remains dire. As the Fridays for Future student movement made clear.
What are the consequences:
These statistics are not new, but they bear repeating. If we don’t make fundamental changes now, global temperatures will rise above 3°C. And at that point, every single ecosystem will suffer the same kinds of extreme weather, natural disasters, and food and water scarcity that more vulnerable countries are already experiencing.
How can I support this Goal?
We all know that taking action now will be immensely easier and be more economically efficient than if we continue to kick the can down the road.
Fighting climate change won’t only prevent disaster. It has the potential to create a more just, equitable, and (yes) more sustainable world. Those in politically powerful positions simply must make big policy changes at the international, multilateral level - and soon.
That’s the task for our politicians. But on the personal level, if you’re new to climate action, you can still make a big difference by starting small. The UN has ten simple suggestions for practicing climate resiliency:
1. Take a 5-minute shower
2. Use a reusable coffee mug
3. Eat a plant-based meal
4. BYOB - bring your own bag
5. Turn off your lights when leaving the room
6. Recycle your plastic waste
7. Drive less
8. Try zero-waste fashion
9. Unplug your appliances
10. Buy local
Einova and Sustainable Development Goal 13
As a power electronics company, Einova has dedicated its entire team of specialized mechatronic and electrical engineers into developing the next generation of ultra-energy efficient electronics. It’s the very heart of what we do.
We believe that the daily act of charging your phone or laptop has the potential to support the transition to an energy-efficient world. In the near future, Einova will contribute to a world-wide reduction in carbon emissions thanks to the future mass adoption of our technologies. It’s ambitious, yes, but at the same time, it’s possible.
Almost 5 billion people in the world have a mobile phone, and 3.88 billion of those are smartphones. That is five billion people that need chargers. Five billion opportunities everyday to drastically save energy costs and reduce the emissions associated with energy consumption.
Our warming climate impels us to dramatically change how we consume energy, and Einova technologies are poised to help achieve this change.
Three goals for a happier world
These are three important steps toward a happier world. By supporting the Sustainable Development goals, you’re not only making yourself happier, you’re creating a world where the pursuit of happiness is truly a pursuit for everyone, regardless of creed, gender, skin color, ethnic background, or where you happen to live.
Start small, start with where you are. Have a happy International Day of Happiness!