Man has always looked to the stars.
They have guided us across land and sea, revealed secrets of the inexorable passage of time and subtly fed our imagination for countless generations.
And every night, they silently watched over us, winking affectionately.
But take an evening flight over the Eastern seaboard, and you see our response: When the sun sets, our planet becomes a reflection of the night sky.
Man reached for the stars and, finding them out of his grasp, built an artificial galaxy. But what has our hubris cost us?
Our lightscape now drowns out its celestial inspiration. Astrologers scour the countryside, seeking areas where light pollution doesn’t obscure the night sky. And every one of our man-made stars means that somehow, energy is being burned. More often than not, that “somehow” is fossil fuels.
It doesn’t matter which side of the global warming debate you’re on. It doesn’t matter whether you consider the United States to be dependent on foreign oil. It doesn’t even matter if you’re politically or environmentally apathetic.
Energy costs money.
Right now, actually, it costs a lot of money. The average cost of regular unleaded gas in the United States is $3.53 per gallon, according to AAA. Baton Rouge is only 12 cents cheaper. The price of crude oil keeps breaking and re-breaking record highs, and it’s no surprise the cost of coal is also rising.
It doesn’t just hit you at the gas station, or in your monthly bill. When energy prices go up, the price of everything else rises too.
Something’s got to give.
There are signs we might be moving the right direction. Hundreds flocked downtown Sunday for the 2008 Louisiana Earth Day celebration, which promoted environmental consciousness. Regrettably, the University’s own Earth Week, hosted by the student group ECO, received less fanfare.
Now, I’m no energy Nazi. Before long, an air conditioner will be blasting cool air into my bedroom. But I will turn it off before I leave.
That’s all I ask.
Be considerate. Be smart.
You might be surprised at how much energy – and money – you can save.
So before you flip on that light switch, ask yourself: Is it really worth adding to mankind’s pseudo-celestial array?
And don’t forget to check your wallet before you answer.
—-Contact Daniel McBride at [email protected]