The Attitude: Increased energy consumption leads to more pollution.

How many times do we see a light sitting idly on, helping no one to see, but nonetheless causing pollution? What causes this foolishness? We know of the economic benefit to reducing our own energy consumption: lower power bills.

We also have made it easy as can be to flick a switch or press a button to turn lights on and off. The amount of time and energy it takes is negligible.

Mentally, it seems, some people are losing the connection. The other day at work, I had turned the lights off in a corner room with two entire walls having side-to-side windows. At midday on a sunny spring day, it added no light to the room, but it had been left on. I say, “it,” but for this room, there were maybe twenty recessed lights.

The A/V manager came back to turn on a projector and exclaimed, “Now, who turned that off!? We’re not saving that much energy,” turning the lights back on.

While we’ll get back to the bad attitude of, “not saving that much energy,” another time, mentally, this individual, and many others (I’m guilty of it at times myself) failed to tie together that having the lights on also means having “the pollution on.”

In order to help reduce energy use and pollution, we have to start thinking about how when our energy consumption goes up, so does the amount of pollution spewed into the air because of that use. Even if you are using renewable, clean energy, wasting it is taking away from its potential to replace others’ consumption of dirty fuels.

When you see a light or other electrical appliance on with no benefit, remember that it means that somewhere, there is likely a smokestack spewing carbon, mercury, and other chemicals into the air, also with no benefit, but great detriment. Use this attitude, that energy consumption usually adds pollution, as leverage in the battle to improve your envirohuman impact.

Feeling lippy? Give us some attitude and let us know what you think!

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