OOPS!
Commentators reviewing the news of the last year often mention the resiliency and the inventiveness of the people of our country – a very hopeful sign. These qualities are helping to solve some of our most difficult environmental problems. When faced with obstacles, we have shown that we are resilient, we can change. Financial incentives sometimes seem to be better motivators than just plain good sense.     
Individually we began to demonstrate our resiliency by adapting to higher gas prices making lifestyle changes that benefited the environment as well as our pocket book. Oops! News reports at the end of 2008 revealed that the sales of SUVs and trucks increased in December. Financial incentives and declining gas prices apparently lowered our resolve to reduce fossil fuel consumption and lessen our nation’s dependence on foreign oil. Our resolve to individually face our environmental issues was sidetracked. Innovation to retrofit cars to get better gas is needed – maybe financial incentives would help.
            Innovation led to light bulbs that use far less electricity. The financial incentive is lowering our electric bill and, at the same time, reducing our energy demands. Oops! When bulbs are replaced the temptation is to forget about using only as much light as we need. Turning off lights when they are not needed is still the best thing for our environment. Unplugging “always on” appliances is still a good sense plan.
            Innovation brought us insulation techniques and more efficient furnaces. Adding insulation to our house, keeping the furnace filter clean or, if possible, getting a new more efficient furnace saves energy. New windows that seal off drafts make a world of difference in our comfort level. All of these moves have cost-saving advantages. Oops! We can be easily be lulled into forgetting that our environment gains even more if we turn down our thermostat one or two degrees and dress warmer.
            Hot water heaters can be insulated and new ones are more efficient. Newer toilets flush well with a fraction of the water used by older ones. These innovations all have cost-saving advantages. Oops! But nothing saves water and/or energy like using less – doing full loads of laundry, taking shorter showers, repairing leaks, or installing a rain barrel.
            All of the inventiveness spurred on by the profitability of recycling has slowed with the downturn in the economy just when consumers have developed good habits, often without much financial incentive, of saving materials to be recycled. Oops! We have not been as quick to adopt the habit of looking to buy things produced from recycled materials. We need to establish habits that reduce our use of resources and reuse everything we can.
            As we adapt to changing conditions and learn to accept innovations, let’s not forget to continue the individual conservation practices that we know make sense.

Della Moen, Earth Team Volunteer, NRCS/Stephenson Soil and Water
Conservation District, an equal opportunity provider and employer, 12/2408/ (for publication on 1/3/09 in the Journal-Standard, Freeport, Illinois).
Della can be reached at info@stephensonswcd.org