Energy Action Month Published Oct. 2, 2013 By Ricardo Cotte Energy Manager MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- October is Energy Action Month across the federal government and Air Force Global Strike Command has leveraged this effort to reach directly to their Airmen to encourage them to find ways to save energy while performing the nuclear deterrence mission. 2012's EAM campaign was great in telling the successes of our Airmen to promote and own energy initiatives. However, results from a recent Internal Communications Assessment Group survey has shown that information has not sufficiently reached all Airmen, and only 25 percent of junior personnel were aware of these efforts. At Minot Air Force Base, we have been continually improving year after year on our goal to achieve better use of the energy we purchase. And by better use, we mean more efficient use of the electric power, natural gas, including car, truck, machinery and aircraft fuels. Yes, when we think or hear about saving energy it does not only mean our electrical consumption. This is because it is the most common or closest to us out of all the energy sources which we deal with on a daily basis, besides our own body's energy. To better understand the broader picture, one has to understand the role of energy in our world. It is a well know concept in the scientific community that The Law of Energy Conservation states that energy cannot be made or destroyed; it can only be transformed. We may have heard this somewhere in our school years. And it holds a key concept to realize our interaction with energy and all we do in our lives. Everything needs energy. And with this in mind, every one of us can make a difference to improve our overall performance. Be it by turning off unnecessary lighting, idling vehicles only when absolutely needed, finishing cooking with the remnant heat on an electric range and the list could go on forever. The energy which we use eventually transforms to something else. Every time we use it, some of it inevitably goes to waste as heat or friction, to overcome resistance and sometimes just to make noise! There are all kinds of energy transformations in every activity we perform, every time. There is no way around this. The point in stressing this out is simple. All of us must attain a consciousness as to how we implement our daily jobs at work and daily chores at the house. If we keep in mind these concepts, we start making little changes and these changes add up to the general energy savings effort everywhere-- not only at the federal government, but in our nation and the world. Now, this is not about going paranoid with this, we recognize energy is everywhere. Especially here in North Dakota, we feel very confident of the vast energy resources available. The Universe is a constant energy source. As mentioned before, energy as a concept will not disappear ever; it just gets transformed into something else. However, energy conservation is one of several wise and conscious manners to conduct ourselves every day. When we make better use of the energy we have available, we become good keepers of what has been granted to us one way or another. Nobody should feel comfortable throwing away money. This can equate to a hiker who does not care about his food supplies while going up an isolated mountain top or to a pilot embarked on a trip with a finite amount of fuel aboard and not choosing the shortest possible route. The consequences of this type of behavior and decisions are obvious. It all boils down to this: Energy conservation makes sense. Even if we perceive we have ample amounts of it, there is no need to throw it away. And all of us feel satisfaction when we realize we have done something that makes good sense. We all know this; it's inside of ourselves and it is automatic. If you come up with ideas of your own for better use of energy and share them with the rest of us, it feels even better. This is what Energy Action Month 2013 is all about. It is about creating consciousness of the importance of our energy security and disseminating the exciting measures our Air Force has been taking to achieve its mission more efficiently. By this, new ideas are triggered in the minds of all our members to continue the improvement becoming in this way the essential purpose of the entire program. Become part of the effort and feel good about it. After all, this is another way where we can win the fight!