I think we all have heard about conserving the energy around our homes. I know when I was little my parents would get upset when I have lights on in rooms that nobody is even in. It was pointless to keep those lights on when it wasn’t needed. I didn’t really understand much about energy conservation until recently and I think it’s super important for me to share more about it. 
Energy conservation is a process of simply just using less energy, such as turning the lights off when you leave the room. By doing certain tasks, we are able to reduce the demand on limited supply. This allows for the supply to rebuild itself in that time. In recent years, Americans have been noticing that other citizens need to recycle more, pollute less, and most importantly, conserve more energy. We can conserve more energy by using energy efficient products and driving less.
Now why is this all that important? Without conserving energy, we are depleting the planet’s natural resources, plain and simple. Although, this may take decades to happen, “the depletion also comes at the cost of creating an enormous destructive waste product that then impacts the rest of life.” The goal for citizens is to reduce the amount of energy they use, help replenish supplies, clean up damage from past energy processes, and many more. Now we all know this is important, but how do we accomplish this exactly?
There are so many options for us to do to ensure we are saving energy. It’s as simple as turning off a light when it’s not needed. Here are some other ideas: 
Drive Less and Carpool
No matter where we go, we see cars everywhere! I drive to work and to get coffee, and in a small town like mine, we drive just to get our minds off something. We simply can just cut out all of the unnecessary driving, you’re saving gas and reducing carbon. In the summer, try bike riding more often or even walking. You’re able to get great exercise! Even at Penn State, try walking to different classes or downtown instead of getting an Uber.
Shutting the Doors
I know my dad would always get upset when I would run inside and outside multiple times, but I never fully understood why until recently. By shutting doors, you’re actually conserving energy. For example, shutting a door to a room with an air conditioner allows you to save energy and money.
Switch Off Appliances When They’re Not In Use
This is so easy to do and it’s probably one of the things we don’t do enough! Walk around your house and see how many lights are on in rooms that no one is in, or how many computers, coffee machines are plugged in. Even when they’re not in use, they still use electricity. Simply turn off the light when you exit, and unplug your computer when you’re done!
Now there are so many other options to conserving energy, you just have to think a little bit. A little search on the web will do you just fine; just start with these few tips!
I like your suggestions and ideas on how to help conserve energy. I like to think I limit my carbon footprint but it is very difficult. At least I’m trying though, so that counts for something. I carpool often and bike sometimes when the place isn’t too far away. I am hoping we advance in alternative energy like solar energy to help save our environment and resources a little more. Until then, we must continue good habits to save the planet.
I love the idea of “This is Our Only Planet” because that is very true. We do not have much time left to fix the damage we have done to our environment in order to create a sustainable world that we could live in for centuries to come. In my environmental earth class this semester, we are talking about the ecological footprint and how many resources we use compared the amount of resources that nature can naturally replenish. The United States alone are using resources that amount to 3.5 almost 4 earths. 4 Earths! The environment does not have enough time to naturally replace the resources we use in order to keep up with our unsustainable lifestyle. Energy conservation is definitely a big step in the right direction to preserve our resources in hopes of taking care of the environment around us and allowing it to go through its natural processes.
When I was much younger, I remember using about five paper towels to wipe my hands even though my hands were very tiny and I was only trying to wipe off a tiny bit of sauce. My dad asked me why I did that. I said “I’m not paying for it anyways” and he said “Not just you, but we all will,” and that’s something that has stuck with me. I think it’s anecdotal to how companies manufacture products without any care for the environment. I agree with everything you’ve said in your pose; my parents are the same way. They taught my brother and I to be eco-conscious and be aware of how much we use, whether it be water, electricity, or paper-products. It made me realize that the key to being environmentally conscious is to be taught how to be so, first and foremost, by our parents.
I think this was a really great reminder to conserve energy in the little ways that people often don’t think about. I grew up always turning the lights off when we left the room so I was shocked when I came to America and realized that a lot of people don’t even think about saving electricity in the small ways. LED light bulbs are also another way I’ve heard of saving energy because they doesn’t use nearly as much electricity as some other light bulbs. Good post!
This is a really insightful post. Literally, even now I would still get yelled at by my guardian to turn off the lights when I am done with them. This post really helped me understand the logistics of it all; as opposed to hearing it as a scold from my guardian. Now I can be more mindful in conserving energy not just to appease my parent, but also for the sake of our planet’s resource abundance.