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Kaira Kwong

Ms. Nourrie

English 11 (B3)

April 24, 2023

Steps to Light

Everything in this fast-paced world heavily depends on electricity, but humans will soon

run out of the energy needed to produce it. There is no turning back to a world without

transportation, light, or electronics; we would not be able to function. The solution to this

problem is relying on renewable energy instead, to power sidewalks and pathways. Humans

produce energy just by moving around, so my solution is to make a tile that takes footsteps and

generates energy, creating light, out of it. My project, Steps to Light, will help the environment,

using energy generated by human movement, and not from non-renewable resources, to light up

pathways and sidewalks, making the streets a safer place.

Non-renewable resources, like coal, oil, and gas are valuable resources for humans

because of the energy it creates, but it comes at a cost too. VICE News reported, “In the last

century, oil and gas has become one of the biggest industries in the world, making and

destroying countries and economies” (0:50-0:58). In “developed countries chasing higher living

standards” (VICE News, 10:25-10:28), like America, people are finding themselves using more

oil and gas. Everyone is dependent on oil and gas to get around, power their homes, and for

practically anything and everything. Machines have been built to use oil and gas as sources of

energy.
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The lucrative oil industry has grown to supply the demand. The endless reserve of oil

being pumped up from developing countries is causing harm to the environment. It has all been

“at the expense of resource-rich, but less developed countries” (VICE News, 10:34-10:38).

Companies, like Exxon, have known about the dangers and harm of using oil regarding air

pollution, oil spills, and climate change. The water levels are rising, and people are being pushed

inwards. The icebergs are melting, and animals are being pushed inwards too. The air pollution is

so bad in some places, like India, that people are having trouble breathing. Oil spills are linked to

cancer. But these giant companies do not care, it is the money that they are after.

Christina Nunez said, “these non-renewable fuels, which include coal, oil, and natural

gas, supply about 80 percent of the world’s energy […] they provide electricity, heat,

and transportation, while also feeding the processes that make a huge range of products,

from steel to plastics” (2019). Nunez also stated that “when fossil fuels are burned, they

release carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, which in turn trap heat in our

atmosphere, making them the primary contributors to global warming and climate

change” (2019).

Fossil fuels are the leading cause of global warming and climate change. When fossil

fuels are burned, carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are released, heating the

atmosphere. Coal supplies one-third of the world’s energy supply, with the United States being a

leading contributor. It is the largest emission of carbon dioxide, making up 44 percent of the

world, and temperature increase. Coal use has declined as other alternatives, good and bad for

the environment, have arisen.

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Crude oil is extracted from wells. It is used for gasoline, diesel, and heating oil, with the

United States being a top producer. One-third of the world’s carbon emissions are due to

petroleum use. Oil causes air pollution when it burns and has created massive disasters when

transporting, for example, the Exxon Valdez in 1989 (Nunez, 2019). Oil use has been rising and

will continue to rise for its convenience as opposed to coal. Oil and natural gas use has gone up

because of new drilling techniques called fracking. New technology has made it easier to reach

resources that were once too far and too expensive. To sum it all up, the United States plays a

huge role in non-renewable resource use.

“Oil and gas revenues account for nearly 40% of the state’s [New Mexico] budget and

fund countless critical services, including the public education system. The state’s heavy

dependency on oil and gas money has for decades left legislators and governors alike

reluctant to cross the industry” (Cantor, p. 13).

Looking at this specific example, it is evident that supply and demand meet each other in

the search for energy here in the United States. Leah Cantor, a reporter in Santa Fe, New

Mexico, wrote a newspaper article titled “Power Struggle.” It focused on New Mexico’s efforts

to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. New Mexico produces much more carbon emissions than

the average United States state. Several goals have been set by lawmakers in the past, including

current Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham’s goal to reduce levels to “45% below 2005 levels by

2030” and the state’s Energy Transition Act of 2019, which requires energy companies to

operate on 100% renewable energy by 2045. But the huge concern is that New Mexico’s

economy is highly dependent on oil and gas production.

While New Mexico works towards its goals, they still need to be mindful of the fact that

the oil and gas produced is what is generating their lives. So, as they work on new solar and wind
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farms, generating the same amount of use that oil and gas had, is a challenge. Nonetheless, being

hopeful, these are new opportunities for diversifying New Mexico’s economy and state.

Our energy dependence will always be there. The high effectiveness of oil and gas to supply

energy is what we have depended on since the 1900s. Now that we know there are so many

problems with this, it is the job of scientists and engineers to produce new ways to fund energy

necessities. Energy is never created, nor destroyed. Optimizing the energy already in the world,

like wind and solar energy, is the most common and useful. There are many ways America can

reconfigure to change the world. With such a large, wealthy country, it is the job of politicians

and those in power to make the change to a cleaner, greener future.

Human movement can help with the conservation of energy, using footsteps to generate

the energy needed to power a light.

“What if we could use the energy of the 50,000 people an hour who passed through some of

the busiest centers of our cities […] you name it all, have huge opportunity for harvesting

human energy” (Kemball-Cook, 1:05-1:21). “Anything you need can be powered through

the simple act of a human footstep” (Kemball-Cook, 0:16-0:21).

Laurence Kemball-Cook is the founder of Pavegen, a company he started that creates tiles that

turn human footsteps into electricity, powering anything. It converts the force from our mass into

power. The more people that walk on the tiles, the more energy is generated for lights, Wi-Fi,

and anything else that is needed. Renewable energy has been growing increasingly popular with

time, and the next step is how to make it more efficient. Kemball-Cook was tasked with creating

a renewable energy streetlight by his employer and thought of his genius idea, Pavegen. Energy

is exerted when a human walks and this energy can be collected and saved in batteries. In busy

areas, these tiles could generate lots of power. Further investment and interest would boost the
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business and make it cheaper to manufacture eventually, which would mean more sales. Just like

solar, it took solar 80 years to get the price down to a few dollars per kilowatt hour, from

thousands (Kemball-Cook, 2:08-2:13).

Kembell-Cook went on to explain the possibilities of this innovation; “imagine many

hundreds of millions of people in the thousand cities around the world and how we can utilize

that energy source,” like “transportation sites” or “shopping centers” (2:03-2:18). Laurence

Kemball-Cook talked about his creation in TED2013’s stops in London. This technology can

power the world and has many different capabilities and ways of use. During this speech from

ten years ago, we were not as advanced as a society as we are now. There are many things we

take for granted, like having the internet at our fingertips or being able to send messages at the

speed of light. His TED talk was something new for the audience as he showed his eye-catching

creation with such passion.

Kemball-Cook mentioned how human movement, and footsteps, were everlasting. The

world is always trying to become more sustainable, trying to use solar and wind as viable sources

of power. But the problem he brought up was, in a city like London, or any place in general,

when there is no direct sunlight or heavy wind, these power sources are not reliable. His idea,

Pavegen, takes something that will never stop, humans. Our footsteps create kinetic energy and

convert it into electricity, either using this power right away as a light or battery source or storing

it away to be used for other purposes.

He did a demonstration how the tile worked and how it looked during his TED talk,

describing the “unit” and “a 7-watt light filament,” pointing out the center of the slab from the

unit too. He stepped on the tile and the unit’s center and side lights lit up with just his movement.

He plans to utilize these tiles in places with millions of people, and in turn, millions of footsteps,
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in places like transportation and shopping hubs is the way to make good use of the design. The

light in the center of the unit, although using 5% of the footstep’s energy, creates this

“gamification” for the users. He stated that he knows “you can get 30% more people walking on

that unit because of feedback” (Kemball-Cook, 2:39-2:42), referring to the tile lighting up as the

users step on it.

Pavegen was installed in a school’s corridor, music festivals, and much more. Kemball-

Cook stated that “fossil fuel generators, powered by diesel, are really harmful for the

environment.” Going commercial with these, meaning widespread and big, allows for the chance

to see real change from this technology. For example, his idea for London’s tube; with 50% of

lighting coming from footsteps, the lighting will add up and save London and the world a lot of

energy that would have come from non-renewable resources.

Mustafa explains that “harvested energy from human footfall is a potential source of

piezoelectric energy systems,” and goes on to mention “applications with low energy such as

street lighting” is perfect for this (p. 35). In addition, how human movement, like walking, can

reduce energy consumption and how piezoelectric discs can convert mechanical energy into

electrical energy that can be used for light. They go on to explain the engineering behind these

discs. Footfall, which is walking or running, causes pressure that produces potential energy to

power piezoelectricity. Stress on different materials can generate different amounts of electricity

by creating an electrical voltage. The positive charges move to one side of the material while the

negative charges move to the other. Once the two sides are connected, the current can flow

through the formed circuit. The energy can be stored in lithium polymer batteries, but in my

project, I would not need to store them as I want to use the energy created to instantaneously

power lights.
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This technology was placed underneath tiles all around the world. As these spreads, new

ways of generating precious energy can reduce energy consumption. The goal is to protect the

environment and its natural, non-renewable resources, and reduce our total use of energy and gas

emissions. In 2020, the United States renewable energy rate was at 12% (Mustafa, p. 35). It is

this generation’s job to improve to make the world a better place. When used in highly

populated, dense areas, this technology could easily replace some of our excessive energy use,

using conservation of energy to do so.

A specific example of why energy is vital would be artificial light is necessary for

pedestrian safety. Generating energy for safety in communities around the world would benefit

everyone. The Federal Highway Administration notes (FHWA) that “lighting of pedestrian

facilities plays a key role in increasing the safety performance of the road network for all

users” (p. 1). The Federal Highway Administration put together a report to provide

recommendations on pedestrian lighting safety. They considered if pedestrians could “detect

hazards on walkways and crosswalks, the visibility of pedestrians to motorists, and impacts of

lighting on pedestrian decisions related to whether to cross a roadway” (Federal Highway

Administration, p. 1). The lighting of a pedestrian walkway is important for all road users, as

movement on or near a road affects them. Being aware of one’s surroundings and unique

situations will help minimize the risk of tripping, falling, or even being subjected to an attack.

Lighting can help with this, when it is dark outside or the area is naturally heavily shaded,

and help the safety of people of all ages, backgrounds, and mobility. “Darkness is one of the

primary factors that influences potential personal risk and heightened fear, as darkness reduces

visibility and recognition and creates additional blind spots” (Federal Highway Administration,

p 1). It would be easier to see vehicles, signs, and intersections. Also, walking in dark areas is
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never ideal. It is riskier and more fearful to walk at night; there is a heightened possibility of

crime. Lighting is important specifically where walkways are not as open to others and light.

Improving light can encourage more nighttime activity, boosting the safety of those out at night

too.

“It is imperative to reduce light pollution and conserve dark areas to protect biodiversity and

human health against the detrimental effects of excessive light. However, it is also

necessary to provide light in public spaces at night to ensure visibility, readability,

orientation, and a sense of security—for pedestrians from all walks of life, and/or those with

certain restricted abilities” (Radicchi and Henckel 2).

This article was a study that specifically touched on improving outdoor artificial lighting for

those who are visually impaired. But it still covers the topic of why artificial light is important

for safety, for those who are visually impaired, and for those who are not. Radicchi and Henckel

have pulled from other studies that artificial light is vital for prolonging activities in the dark, as

it provides visibility, safety, security, and well-being. It is noted that artificial lights are often

seen as a negative thing. Many studies have cited light pollution, the disturbance of Earth’s

natural cycle, to be the issue with illuminating the dark sky with power. Nevertheless, in a

humanistic way, the needs of humans come first in terms of safety and inclusion.

Artificial light comes from lights, and nowadays, with LED technology, the possibility of

pedestrian lighting is growing. New urban outdoor planning must account for “inclusive light

planning” to suit everyone’s needs. Choosing where and how public spaces are lit up is complex

because there are too many options and opinions and factors to think about. Most of the time,
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road lighting for drivers is more common than sidewalk lighting for pedestrians. It is important

to understand that different people need different lights.

Radicchi and Henckel concluded that “inclusive design and planning of public lighting

should become a much more important topic; this would help visual diverse pedestrians,

but also sighted ones, to deal with, e.g., the increasing overload of sensual impressions”

(5).

It is impossible to accommodate everyone with a universal lighting plan but some of the factors

to take into consideration are “glare, contrast, uniformity, illuminance, light color and flicker”.

“Energy-reduction measures” are something that Radicchi and Henckel reflected on.

LEDs are the best option in lighting but also minimize the use of light when possible. They

suggested lighting on demand that is used only when necessary. This ties in with my whole

project that lighting for pedestrians is important, so much so that the earth’s precious energy

needs to be wasted on it, for safety and inclusivity. My project is to provide these without using

up our non-renewable resources and protect our earth while protecting pedestrians.

Generating renewable energy, Steps to Light is my project that hopes to help with the

safety of pedestrians by lighting up pathways and sidewalks, using energy created by human

footsteps. Non-renewable resources, like coal, oil, and gas, are all valuable but finite resources

that cause irrefutable damage to the climate. A solution is finding new ways to create renewable

energy, including using human movement to do so. Not only does this apply conservation of

energy, but it also generates energy for situations in need. A perfect example is providing light

for dark spots in crowded, heavily populated areas. If there is anything that can be taken away

from this essay, it should be that creative engineering is vital to find ways to save our planet

from the catastrophes that are already happening. Find the cause of a situation deemed
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disastrous, devastating, or difficult, and produce a small, but mighty, answer to the problem. We

must save and create a better world for ourselves through the power of innovation.
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Works Cited

Cantor, Leah. “POWER STRUGGLE: New Mexico’s Emissions Reduction Goals Focus on

Energy but Need to Move on Oil and Gas.” Santa Fe Reporter, vol. 47, no. 50, 16 Dec.

2020, pp. 12–15. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?

direct=true&AuthType=cookie,ip,cpid&custid=s4800244&db=n5h&AN=147634255&sit

e=ehost-live.

CNBC. (2017, August 16). Pavegen: How a Footstep's energy is converted to electrical power |

The Edge. YouTube. Retrieved March 24, 2023, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=V_o_EoBJsvA 

Federal Highway Administration, Washington, D.C., pp. 1–2, Lighting for Pedestrian Safety. 

“How to Turn Your Footsteps into Energy.” YouTube, YouTube, 5 July 2012, 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klvf5ldFA0w. Accessed 20 Feb. 2023. 

Mustafa, Sara Fawzy. “Applying Piezoelectric Tiles as a Sustainable Design Solution to Reduce

Energy Consumption in Egypt.” International Journal of Environmental Sustainability,

vol. 17, no. 2, Dec. 2021, pp. 33–46. EBSCOhost, https://doi-

org.ezproxy.librarieshawaii.org/10.18848/2325-1077/CGP/v17i02/33-46.

Nunez, Christina. “Fossil Fuels, Explained.” Environment, National Geographic, 2 Apr. 2019,

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/fossil-fuels. 

Radicchi, Antonella, and Dietrich Henckel. “Planning Artificial Light at Night for Pedestrian

Visual Diversity in Public Spaces.” Sustainability (2071-1050), vol. 15, no. 2, Jan. 2023,

p. 1488. EBSCOhost, https://doi-org.ezproxy.librarieshawaii.org/10.3390/su15021488.

“The Race to Zero Emissions, & Why the World Depends On It | Planet A.” YouTube, YouTube,

3 Jan. 2022, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uazFKbZHIog. Accessed 26 Feb. 2023.