Saving energy doesn’t have to be a big deal to be a big deal. Sometimes, it’s as simple as just turning out the lights. But even that little gesture is something we all need a little reminder about. And that’s the basis for a new campaign initiated by Gov. M. Jodi Rell. Called “One Thing,” it’s a push to get us all to think about “one thing” we can each do personally to help conserve energy.
“Energy is a global issue and sometimes we have trouble getting our arms around it – not just the ‘we’ of policy-makers but the ‘we’ of you and me,” Gov. Rell said.
A recent poll by Sun Microsystems showed that 92 percent of workers say they shut their lights off at home to conserve energy. But once they get to work, only about half of them do. That number looks even worse since 75 percent of the same pool of employees said they want to work in an environmentally-friendly company.
Businesses are the major energy users in the state. And even business owners who aren’t environmentally sensitive are usually bottom-line sensitive. Workers lose their will to conserve when it’s not their money on the line. Maybe they need a reminder that it’s still their air and their earth that’s at stake.
The “One Thing” campaign will reach out to businesses, but maybe businesses should be reaching out to the campaign. This is not a piece of contentious legislation, nor a divisive state program. It’s just an idea: can’t we all do one thing, just one thing, to make a difference? Because if we did, that would be millions of small things, adding up to a very large thing.
The campaign is bringing out a Web site, onethingct.com, which will gather stories about the “one things” done by individuals. Those stories can be shared with employees, who can be encouraged to contribute. Eventually, too, the site will have a section for businesses, where not only can they find information about how to participate, but will also find information on special programs and incentives offered to companies for conservation.
It’s not much, perhaps. But it’s at least one thing.
