Turning Off The Lights During Sex Good For The Climate, According To The German Minister

Turn off the lights when you have sex; this will contribute to a better environment. That’s the message being espoused by Barbara Hendricks, who heads Germany’s Ministry of Environment. Apparently, passing out leaflets and televised ads just aren’t getting the message across, so she came up with a clever way to deliver the message in a provocative and eye-popping way.

The minister launched a campaign consisting of three video ads. The thing about these clips is that they’re a bit R-rated, though that is exactly the point. It’s what helps drive views because people are going to want to see it simply for its viral-worthy content even if the message is just an afterthought.

The first video urges people to turn off the lights when having sex. The clip shows a teenage girl sneaking back into her home in the middle of the night only to find her parents getting it on in the living room. The daughter – obviously not wanting to witness the intimate moment – turns off the light. The video concludes with a message that switching off the lights when not in use can save enough power equal to that created by an entire coal power plant.

The second video is just as equally provocative. It shows a man at a pump station filling up his gas guzzler when he spots an attractive blonde on a bicycle. The guy becomes aroused and ends up losing his keys in the process. His solution? He hitches a ride with the girl on the back of her bike. The end narration says that every commute by bike makes for a happy environment.

The third and final video utilizes gore instead of sex. It shows a man being devoured by zombies as he is tending to his lawn. He cries in agony as he is torn apart. In the meantime, his wife is inside and is playing a musical instrument. The minute she hears a scuffle, she shuts the door to mute the noise. The message here is to leave the doors and windows shut during winter to trap the heat, thus preventing the use of energy-consuming heaters.

The ads, while certainly creative and out-of-the-box, drew its share of critics. Opponents slammed the tax-paying ads, citing them as an attempt by the government to enforce a nanny state.

While turning off the lights during sex certainly won’t put an end to global warming, it will prevent the needless expenditure of energy that is not needed at the moment.