Energy Conversations about Conservation Published Nov. 17, 2010 By Col. Michael Hornitschek 375th Air Mobility Wing Commander SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- In October, a handful of volunteers and I met around the wing conference room table for the first Scott Energy Conversation. The idea for starting an energy conversation here comes not only from my obligation as an Air Force leader to create a culture of responsible energy use, but also from a lifelong interest in the subject because I want to ensure a bright future for all of our children and future generations. At each assignment, I have found there to be a group of people also interested and dedicated to talking about and seeking solutions to not only to be more efficient with our government resources, but also to understand the ways in which we can all contribute to conservation and using alternate energy sources. I love the use of analogies to illustrate concepts and ideas. Recently, I've begun to compare traditional energy concepts such as "Peak Oil" to how we as people age. As we get older, we reach a certain point when we no longer have the physical capacity to do this year what we could do the year before--call this "Peak Age." We know that each subsequent year we will have less ability to do what we did the previous year. This point comes at various times for each of us, but eventually we all get there. It's the same for traditional forms of energy; many of our natural resources are finite, such as oil and coal. They may not all run out at the same time, but at some point they will inevitably begin to run out and at that point there is no turning back--we will be able to do less as a nation and as an Air Force unless we take action now. It's the finite attribute of these energy sources that makes it absolutely vital that we begin conversing and acting on new ways to conserve and create energy. This is what the Scott Energy Conversation is about -using those conversations to impact the energy culture at Scott. We're not scientists, just people who care about our energy future and who have decided to meet a couple of hours each month to discuss ways we can help. Our ways of helping might be as simple as reminding our officemates to turn off their monitors when they aren't in use, encouraging more energy efficient purchases in the work center or at home, or even the decision to walk to a meeting instead of driving. While these are small changes that don't make too much difference on a case-by-case basis--maybe a quarter here, a dollar there--they do make a significant impact when multiple individuals are doing the same thing across a population. It's a combined effort. In our first discussions, we talked about the idea that Energy = Happiness. We can get to that because Energy = Work, Work = Goods and Services, Goods and Services = Quality of Life, and Quality of Life = Happiness. Energy is important, and our society has grown accustomed to and dependent on its easy and relatively inexpensive availability. However, we recognize the negative effects of our overuse of energy and its waste. Thus, we need to find ways to conserve our natural resources while finding and using alternatives as well. Right now this team of people is working to define the mission, vision and motto for the group and create some marketing efforts, as well as share ideas for how we can conserve our resources at Scott. The Scott Energy Conversation is growing and evolving, and we meet the first Tuesday of each month at 4 p.m. in the Bldg P-3 Wing Conference Room. All are welcome to attend--servicemembers, civilians, contractors, retirees and family members alike. Let me be clear, this is not a formal meeting and there is no emphasis placed on ranks--ideas are welcome from all in attendance. This is a forum for intellectual energy that turns into physical energy--hope to see you there!