Letter to forum - Thoughts on conserving energy

A letter to the forum page of the local newspaper, written by me and published.

"I recently went to a mega supermarket in the heartlands, and while the temperature outside was a hot 33 degrees Celsius, the air conditioners were making the supermarket much colder than expected. While the fresh food section may require such temperatures, I really wonder if the other sections of the supermarket selling electronics and fabrics really need to be so cold. Is it not a waste of energy to make buildings much colder than they need to be?

A Japanese friend of mine commented about the indoor temperatures in Singapore when he visited recently. The difference between the temperatures outdoors and that indoor is so great, that it is difficult to dress appropriately. Anything worn to suit the outside heat is too thin for the indoor's cold temperature, while anything worn to fight off the cold is probably going to make one sweat a lot more when walking outdoors.

In a bid to conserve energy, and do a little for the environment, the Japanese government has decreed that all government agencies set their air conditioners to no colder than 28 degrees during summer. Workers are allowed to dress down to suit the summer heat. They are not expected to turn up in suit-and-tie anymore; short-sleeved shirts will do just fine. Can we not follow suit and save some energy, and save ourselves from the dilemma of wearing jackets in a country which has summer all year round?"