Energy Fast, Anyone?
All too often, electricity is something that we humans take for granted. Have you ever left the room with the lights on? Do you fall asleep during a movie or while watching television? There are ways to live more simply in the 21st Century and one is by lessening your energy usage.
A key aspect to living a simpler life is to embrace nature. Go outside. When the weather is nice and the sun is shining bright, open the shades. Keep your florescent bulbs off and use the natural light. Better yet, do some of your activities outside! When it is darker out, do not be afraid to use some candles. As long as you are careful about your usage, so as to avoid starting fires, candlelight can not only be an effective source of light but it can also be very calming. If you are afraid of fire and happen to live in a gloomy place like Seattle, don't fret. If you want to conserve energy, just make sure that you shut off all lights when you leave a room!
Another quick and easy way to start saving energy is by unplugging the appliances that you are not currently using. According to an article published by the New York Times, this power that is consumed by appliances that are plugged in but are turned off is called stand-by power. Here is a chart that gives estimates on how many watts of stand-by power everyday appliances use. Here in the 21st Century, we are spoiled with appliances that do everything from making lattes to curling hair. By unplugging the appliances that you are not using in the present moment, you can save energy and money.
Conserving energy can be a difficult habit to start. If you are used to leaving lights on, it can be hard to remember to turn them off. Here is a helpful hint: Place a sticky note that says "Remember to turn off the lights!" above your door knobs. This way, when you exit a room, you will see the sticky note and, in turn, remember to conserve energy.
At Nazareth Farm, once a week, we participated in an "energy fast." What this means is that every Tuesday, starting at sun-down, we would go on with our evening as if the power was shut off. We set pitchers of water out by the sinks and made sure that our flashlights were fully charged. These pitchers of water were used for drinking, teeth brushing, hand washing, and anything else we would need it for and the flashlights lit our way. This opportunity allowed us to step away from technology and modern appliances and gave us a reason to spend the night playing cards and having worthwhile conversations.
Participating in the energy fast each week allowed us to be thankful for the electricity that we had readily available on a daily basis. In addition, the energy fast also allowed us to live in solidarity with those who are not fortunate enough to have electricity readily available, if only for one night a week. It is easy to take something as common as electricity for granted. Personally, I would suggest that you try an energy fast at least once in your life. If you enjoy it, make it a monthly or weekly occurrence!
There are many things that you can do on a daily basis to reduce the amount of energy that you use. Remember, just because we are living in the 21st Century, that does not mean that you cannot have a taste of the simple life.
