Even as everyday technologies get more complex and demand more power, boosting energy conservation can be easy.
Ah, the olden days. Waking up when the sun rises. A rooster's faint cock-a-doodle-doo sneaking in through your window. Cooking meals over a fire. Hanging laundry in the sun to dry. Going to sleep when the sun sets. It all sounds so peaceful.
Fast forward.
Although the use of modern technologies might vary from person to person, there is no denying it — we're addicted to energy-sucking devices.
We wake up to screeching alarm clocks. We can't leave home without our iPods. We've got power strips lining our rooms with a wad of tangled cords connecting us to our virtual worlds.
Welcome to 2006.
And today new technologies generally aren't manually operated. They don't just come equipped with fancy blinking lights; they've got chargers, cords and the hunger for power.
This might explain why between the 2000-01 and 2004-05 school years, the amount of fuel consumed on MSU's campus increased by 5 percent.
Most people probably say they're in support of conserving the earth's resources. But when recycling is inconvenient, the reality is people usually throw their soda cans or newspapers right into the trash can.
Well, here's a simple and, more importantly, convenient way to help conserve.
Just unplug or turn off.
Disconnect from your energy-consuming ways.
Turn off your computer when you go to sleep. Click the switch to "off" when you're not using your printer. Flip off your lights when you leave home. Unplug your phone charger when your phone isn't refueling. (Yes, even if it's not currently charging, the charger is using some energy by just being plugged in.)
For those residing in a dorm, it might seem like there is no real incentive to quit cold turkey on your energy addiction. You're paying a flat rate to live on campus, despite how much energy you're using.
But with rising energy demands, money to supply adequate power for MSU has to come from somewhere. And using more energy could directly affect you — and the cost of your tuition — in the future.
For those living off campus however, the bonus of saving energy is much more direct. By just cutting back a little, your energy, heat and electric bill will leave your pockets with some extra cash. And spare dough is always a good thing.
Power is in numbers. No pun intended.
If everyone just uses a little less — by turning off and unplugging — it could ultimately make a big difference.
