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September 11, 2008
Channel M's Kang commits to a conservation lifestyle
Dilbar Kang is a reporter and news anchor on Vancouver's Channel M multi-ethnic television station.
Being in the public eye means he likes to stay in shape, so he works out seven days a week, including three days at the gym and four days running outside. Kang will sacrifice his sleep for exercise.
"I can skip my meal but I can't skip my exercise," he says. "It looks like I'm addicted now. My wife says, 'You should spend some time on other things.'"
Kang has applied the same level of discipline to his role on Team Power Smart, of which he is undeniably proud. It means he has switched all the standard light bulbs in his 12-year-old Surrey home to CFLs from top to bottom. He's learned to regularly change the filters on his furnace and he's switched to energy saving windows.
"My thinking is always to learn something new, right?," he says. "I would think that I missed a good opportunity if I didn't learn lots more and contribute something too.
"And since I joined the Power Smart team, wherever I go, I try to start energy saving."
Spreading the word
"Most of my friends are following these steps too. Some of them change their lights to CFLs and they are learning something new and trying to improve something too because I talk to them," says Kang. "Before, we used to keep everything plugged in, but when I got on the Power Smart team I started to do unplug it all. If your cell phone is charged, turn the power off. If you are listening to the radio, unplug it.
"When not using the computer, turn off the power. Most people don't know the little steps can make a big difference. Every little step is a good move."
Kids push the conservation agenda
Kang came to Canada from the Punjab state, where he worked as a freelancer while in university. When he got to Canada he was determined to work in the media. He eventually worked for a Punjabi language newspaper in Surrey for nearly three years before moving into radio. There, he eventually held down a prime-time open line talk show for four years.
By 2004, he went to work for Channel M with his own weekly talk show, but the hours didn't work for the family man. He switched to news so that he could work Monday to Friday and see his wife and three children more often.
In fact, it's his children who help him maintain his new energy efficient standards.
"My daughter, she's the middle one, and she's always talking about the environment and saving energy," says Kang. "She's reminding everybody, 'When you leave the room, your lights should be turned off right away.'"
Pushing for change, at home and at work
The Kang family recycles as much as it can. The Kangs don't use air conditioning. They have switched to low-pressure faucets.
But Kang is not without his flaws, he admits. He drives a 2000 Chevy Tracker, which is a four-by-four. But he uses it only to drive 3 kilometres to the nearest SkyTrain station, where he parks and hops on the SkyTrain.
"It's not that convenient but it saves energy."
As well, he doesn't yet have low-pressure toilets – but he plans to get some installed.
He can't think of any other area of his life that needs correcting when it comes to energy conservation. However, Kang is perhaps more of a proud role model than he knows.
"Most of the time, people just think about their home [for sustainability]. They think, 'I don't pay for it, so just leave [the lights] on.
"At work, I'm careful to tell my colleagues too I am involved with the Power Smart team," he says. "Before, we used to leave the computers on when we left the job. But now everybody, before they go home they turn off the computers and other stuff before they leave. And now, only the emergency lights stay on at night."
Related links:
- Join Team Power Smart
- Team Power Smart Roster
- Power Smart Tips & Products
- No-cost, low-cost quick tips tool
See also:
Source: BC Hydro
