Reasons to Save Energy

Energy Independence is what the last 8 U.S. Presidents have been trying to achieve for the past 35 years; since Richard Nixon's State of the Union address, in 1974. Finding the energy to satisfy our needs has been increasingly more difficult due to our dependency on foreign sources and the environmental consequences existing sources have. Prices fluctuate due to limited supply and new demands from developing countries. These millions of dollars we send abroad could be spent on improving our infrastructure and creating jobs.

Clearly, energy is a big issue and on a National level, we have saddled our government with the responsibility to provide us with energy. The responsibility, however, is not entirely on our elected official's shoulders, and it shouldn't be, in a land that fights for and defends Liberty.

We all can learn to conserve energy and take ownership in our quest to become more Energy Independent, and if that's not enough reason for you, here is a list of 5 reasons why your business might want to conserve energy.

• Save Money. This is the most popular reason to conserve energy. Conserving saves money, which can be spent on more green products and clean energy. Energy efficiency upgrades are paid back quickly and are a smart investment.
• Save Water. This is something we don't often think about, but by conserving energy we reduce the amount of electricity power plants need to generate, which require a tremendous amount of water to keep these power plants cool.
• Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Fossil fuels release carbon monoxide when burned and is the primary greenhouse gas contributing to climate change. When we conserve energy, we reduce the burning of fossil fuels.
• Reduce Mercury Pollution. Coal burning power plants are our primary source of electricity, and when coal is burned to produce energy it emits mercury, a known carcinogen, and is quickly deposited into water bodies and soils.
• Reduce Air Pollution. The burning of fossil fuels emit carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, mercury and soot leading to acid rain and respiratory illnesses and also leads to low atmosphere ozone formation smog.

There are many good reasons to conserve energy for our own personal benefits and if we consider others we begin to create a more sustainable community, nation and planet and truly become Energy Independent.