Cutting your electric bill

"Energy conservation is the foundation of energy independence." Tom Allen

Never wait for a bureaucracy to save you when a threat is eminent.

“The nation behaves well if it treats the natural resources as assets which it must turn over to the next generation increased, and not impaired, in value." Theodore Roosevelt

Turn off those appliances that are not being used. I use a power strip to turn off my entertainment center (TV, receiver, DVD player, etc) at night when I turn off the television and do not turn it back on until I am ready to watch the television.

Do you have a spare room with a television, radio, etc? Then unplug them when no one is in there. This seems to drive my wife nuts when I turn off the clocks in the spare room, but it takes a minute to reset the clock when we have company staying in the room.

“They can't do without electricity. They can do with less electricity." Kenneth Lay

I believe that being a pragmatic country we can overcome any obstacle that we are now facing if we work together. Where are the Edison’s and Einstein’s, who will lead the energy “Manhattan Project”? I am sure that they are out there, waiting for some government to give them the money to follow their dream project. Or entering the 2009 X-Prize contest to create a car that gets 100 mpg as Cornell Universityalready is.

Until there is an energy program similar “Manhattan Project” we should be able to rely on the ‘small’ home style inventor for help. Someone out there should be able to come up with a way to:

• provide enough power (solar, wind, etc) to supply a typical home with electricity during the day to reduce the load on the power grid
  
• control those vampire electrical units in the house and turn them off when we are not using them
  
• more efficient appliances

The Government Won’t Save You

“Our major obligation is not to mistake slogans for solutions." Edward R. Murrow
If you are getting beaten up by the high cost of energy, don’t wait for the government to help you. If you believe that manmade CO2 is causing global warming, don’t wait for the government to save you. Never wait for a bureaucracy to save you when a threat is eminent.

“Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does." William James

We have been called a pragmatic country, one that recognizes a challenge, defines the challenge and conquers the challenge. If you want to have a positive effect on the economy, the environment and the country start doing something.

“Our major obligation is not to mistake slogans for solutions." Edward R. Murrow

You can reduce your driving by 10% carpooling one day a week and the next week you are the passenger. Or if possible take mass transit one day a week. Doesn’t sound like too much of a hardship as you still have the other eight days free to drive yourself, unless of course you find it easier?

“Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer despair for the future of the human race." H.G. Wells

Reduce you energy use at home or at work. Turn off the lights, when not in use, use a smaller wattage if possible or change over to CFL (compact fluorescent lights). Turn your heat down or your air-conditioning up depending on the season. Because despite the environmental groups harping on the transportation industry, buildings (home/work) use more energy and are responsible for 25% more CO2 than transportation.