Reflection

I am glad that I started this project. I have learned a lot about an industry that I truly knew very little about to begin with. Yet I feel that I am only scratching surface of the seemingly private world of Big Oil; one that affects each of us daily.

Not only do the industry giants affect us; we affect them. Our demand for this resource grows and our dependence is increased daily. I might not agree with the decisions of the Big Oil companies, but my choices each day strengthen their hold on my life and my pocket book.

It seems that the only way to better my situation and that of those I am around is to lessen my personal use. I have learned that there are more ways to lessen my personal impact on the impending oil crisis; more ways than I previously knew.

I vow to decrease my daily usage by:
1. Using less electricity in my home (by turning down the heat and air conditioning when I am not home and never leaving unnecessary lights on)
2. Buying more energy efficient appliances
3. Washing all my clothes in cold water
4. Carpooling at least once a week
5. Keeping my car tires pumped up (I was surprised to learn that this could increase my car's fuel efficiency drastically)

These are simple changes I can make in my own life and I will challenge those around me to make some personal changes as well.

For information about what you can do to decrease your personal energy usage, below are some excellent resources.

http://www.wecansolveit.org/content/pages/20/

http://www.greenteamutah.com/main.html

http://www.utahcleanenergy.org