Conserve!!!!!

We all know the expression, "waste not, want not".  Then why is it when it comes to energy we waste a lot and want more.

Thankfully the energy issue is front and center in this year's election.  And that is very good. We need not only to start focusing on alternative energy sources, but ways to conserve those sources that already exist.  Many of the alternate sources will not be online for many years.

First and foremost, Barack had it right. Inflate your tires.  Might not sound like a lot, but it can save about 3% per tank of gas. Multiply that times the million of American drivers on the road every day and we save a lot.

Second, turn off the lights! Please!  I've never understood this one myself.  Why is it so difficult for some people to simply flip a switch when they leave a room.  And why do we need the lights burning overnight in all of our office buildings.  Sure, they're flourescent, but still, flourescent bulbs still burn energy.  Why waste it.  Let's all talk to our office managers, property managers or whoever it is that controls the lights at night and have them put on automatic timers to turn off in the evening sometime.

Lastly, unplug appliances that aren't being used.  I'm not necessarily talking about televisions and computers (although computers should be shut down when not in use) because I know that would be very inconvenient and annoying.  I'm just talking about things like toasters, blenders, cell phone chargers, etc.  When these items are plugged in they are still utilizing energy.  It's not too much to ask that they be unplugged when not in use.

I don't want to sound like a tree hugging hippie but we need to start thinking globally and acting locally.  These three small steps on an aggregate level can make a huge dent in our energy consumption and they don't really require that much effort.

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