Conserving energy is a family matter, too

It’s 6:30 a.m. on a chilly morning. I yawn sleepily as my 14-year-old son kisses me goodbye. Before he goes off to school, I make a sign of the cross on his forehead to bless his day.

Jumping out of bed and into the washroom, I turn on my brand new faucet. As clean running water gushes into my hands, I am engulfed by a sudden surge of gratitude for this valuable resource. Water is a precious gift of life. Glancing at the girl in the mirror, I wash my face and brush my teeth. I am ready to greet this beautiful day filled with promise.

Before breakfast I head off to check Vincent’s room to make sure that it is left in order. While smoothening out his bed and drawing open the dark curtains to let in the sunlight, I chance upon a colorful sign posted on his large bulletin board. It reads: “Save the Earth for what it’s worth.” This sign is a collaboration among Vincent and his classmates Johan Yao, Ryann Ng and Jason Chua. 

This introspective statement echoes in my mind all throughout the day.

That night he arrived home from school with an armload of homework. “Anything I can help you with, my son?” I asked him.

“Yes, Mama. I have a new school project to do,” he said. “It entails making a plan of how our entire family and household can cut down on power consumption at home.”

Vincent added that he would need everyone’s cooperation in order to save valuable resources such as water, fuel, paper included. He settled down, collected his thoughts and noted them all down on his laptop. I heard the sound of his printer and out came a checklist outlining his final thoughts.

The very next day he had posted them in all the rooms all over the house. We are now obliged to write down what measures we have taken to conserve resources on a daily basis. Our goal is to check at the end of the month how much we saved upon checking our water and electric bills.

I am sharing with you the Science project of my son. Here goes his conservation list.

1. Turn off overhead lights if not needed, if possible, use task light. (e.g. lamp, reading light)

2. Turn off computers, TVs or any other appliances when not in use.

3. Report any material deficiencies because they consume a lot of energy. (e.g. broken pipes, leaking faucets.)

4. Save Paper.

5. Use both sides of a paper.

6. Close/tilt window blinds to block direct sunlight to reduce cooling needs.

7. Maximize use of appliances that use less energy. (e.g. Use fan instead of air-con.)

8. Take short/shorter showers.

9. Turn off appliances and lights at the end of days or before sleeping.

10. Carpool whenever possible.

11. Sleep in less or one room/s.

12. Turn off water when not in use.

13. Reuse water. (e.g. Water used to wash dishes can be used to water plants.)

14. Use scratch paper. 

If all families followed a conservation plan at home, can you imagine how much resources of the earth would be saved?

(Please share with me your energy conservation tips. Would love to hear from you at miladayjewels@yahoo.com)