Let's take ACTION...

I recently stumbled onto a link about Blog Action Day. It just so happened to be today as well. So I clicked and decided to see what it is all about. It seems this organization is of the environmental nature, I have always enjoyed the environment. Sure, I'm no tree-hugger or vegetarian but I love our planet's resources and appreciate the overwhelming beauty in it. The objective of Blog Action Day was to focus on topics surrounding our individual views on the environment. That my friends, is what I will attempt to do here today. Almost completely improvised, as I just found out about this minutes ago. For more information visit: www.blogactionday.org

I don't write with a theme in this blog, there are only 3 other entries after all... Picking a subject is almost difficult, I am sitting here wondering what to even start about. I look around my office, and it hits me. Turn off the light! We've got a track of 5 GE 65V incandescent light bulbs here in the office near the restroom. An area located near an empty desk, the fridge and a filing cabinet. Not a very busy portion of the room. It's lit with a fair amount of ambient light, as well as the 5 lights above when necessary. Necessary, often a misused word. In this case, I see these lights on more than they ought to be, so I turn them off a few times a week. Sometimes they stay off, sometimes they will get turned back on. I try to let people know that they aren't being used, so just leave them off. I figure it'll save the company a few bucks as well.

Here's a formula to see how much we might be spending:

Cost = (wattage of bulb) ÷ (1,000) x (hours per days in use) x (365 days/year) x (cost per kilowatt hour)
(65) ÷ (1,000) x (9) x (260) x ($0.2284)
Total: $34.74
Light track total: $173.70
Source (page 3 of the PDF).

Even further in the lighting category are the new Quantam dot LED lights. Switching out just one of these can save $30 off your annual electric bill. Imagine switching out an entire house/office worth. Compact fluorescent lights have been around for a short while now, even those can help keep half a ton of CO2 out of the atmosphere.

I guess what I'm really trying to say is: If you're going to keep an unnecessary light on all the time, make it one that won't hurt both the environment and your wallet.

This applies then, today and forever...

"Open Letter to the Youth of our Nation"
by Hunter S. Thompson, circa 1955
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Awake from your slumber of indolence and harken the call of the future!

Do you realize that you are rapidly becoming a doomed generation? Do you realize that the fate of the world and of generations to come rests on your shoulders? Do you realize that at any time you may be called on to protect your country and the freedom of the world from the creeping scourge of Terrorism? How can you possibly laugh in the face of the disasters which face us from all sides? Oh ignorant youth, the world is not a joyous place. The time has come for you to dispense with the frivolous pleasures of childhood and get down to honest toil until you are sixty-five. Then and only then can you relax and collect your social security and live happily until the time of your death.

Also, your insolent attitude disturbs me greatly. You have the nerve to say that you have never known what it is like to live in a secure and peaceful world; you say that the present generation has balled things up to the extent that we now face a war so terrible that the very thought of it makes hardened veterans shudder; you say that it is impossible to lay any plans for the future until you are sure you have a future. I say Nonsense! None of these things matter. If you expect a future you must carve it out in the face of these things. You also say that you must wait until after you have served your time with the service to settle down. Ridiculous! It is a man's duty to pull up stakes and serve his country at any time, then settle down again.

I say there is no excuse for a feeling of insecurity on you part; there is no excuse for Juvenile Delinquency; there is no excuse for your attitude except that you are rotten and lazy! I was never like that! I worked hard; I saved; I didn't run around and stay out late at night; I carved out my own future through hard work and virtuous living, and look at me now; a respectable and successful man.

I warn you, if you don't start now it will be too late, and the blame for the end of the world will be laid at your feet. Heed my warning, oh depraved and profligate youth; I say awake, awake, awake!

Fearfully and disgustedly yours,
John J. Righteous-Hypocrite

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Take his words and use them in life.