Energy Conservation

Energy Conservation Begins at Home

Successfully reversing current consumption trends should not be viewed as one giant task, but rather a succession of small ones. The Foundation believes that by understanding how energy is used and the ways it can be tracked, the public is better equipped to reduce its intake and devise new ways of both creating and conserving resources. Not only is such a mind frame good for the planet, it promotes a healthier standard of living and financial benefits for the individual.

Educating the individual creates resource-conscious consumers who can adjust their buying habits and then track both consumption and savings as a result of their efforts. Specific areas of interest for the Foundation include:

• Housing – By keeping a watchful eye on utilities such as electricity, natural gas, oil, propane, and water, people are quickly able to see how newly adopted changes affect their consumption as well as their monthly overhead.

• Transportation – Reducing air travel and driving distances are easy to track and provide an excellent example of how conservation can influence both the environment and the pocketbook.

• Time – An educated consumer is better equipped to balance free time against time spent at work, leading to an improved quality of life.

• Diet and Exercise – Learning to conserve (e.g., walking instead of driving, taking stairs rather than the elevator, fixing smaller meal portions) results in less waste and increases health benefits.

• Goods and Waste – An educated consumer quickly recognizes the difference between the “durable” and “disposable” items that are purchased on a daily basis, and can easily adjust purchasing habits.

Inventing New Ways of Thinking

While teaching individuals how to monitor and reduce their daily consumption lies at the heart of Not So Much Foundation, it is only half the picture. Not only must we focus on restructuring consumer habits, more attention must be paid to encourage the invention of alternative energy sources. To do so, the Foundation addresses three key points of energy awareness and development:

• Academic Influence – By promoting the gathering of scientific data, general research, and analysis, the Foundation hopes to pave the way for discoveries.

• Business and Economic Opportunities – In order to conserve resources, companies need to be convinced of the financial payoff of environmentally friendly business practices. Compiling market-based studies on consumer spending, cost effectiveness, and efficiency play a pivotal role in gathering the information necessary to influence businesses.

• Social/Political – Tracking data by numerous organizations can be used to evaluate and create sound social, economic, and political policies that support sustainability.