Conserving energy is not just for saving money Published April 21, 2015 By David Moysey 51st Civil Engineer Squadron Energy Program Specialist OSAN AIR BASE, REPUBLIC OF KOREA -- Earth Day occurs every year on April 22 and striving to achieve "energy conservation every day in everything we do" can have a tremendous impact on the health of our planet. Besides congressional acts, Department of Defense mandates, and Executive Orders to reduce the consumption of energy at Osan Air Base and all federal facilities, there are more important environmental reasons to conserve energy than just saving tax-payer money. Primarily, conserving energy reduces the demand for electricity and heating fuel and lessens the burdens for 1) burning fossil fuels or operating nuclear plants to produce electricity, and 2) depleting the Earth's natural resources. Burning fossil fuels creates pollution resulting in toxic air emissions, pollution in nearby rivers, and a reduction of the ozone layer. Nuclear power plants have many well-known risks including leaking radioactive wastes, reactor meltdowns, harm to aquatic life by released cooling waters, and problems associated with disposing the radioactive wastes. Any reduction in the amount of required energy is beneficial to our planet and our future generations. Another way to reduce our requirement for purchased electricity and heating fuel is the use of renewable sources of energy, such as wind farms, solar panels, geothermal heat pumps, and bio-fuels. These renewable sources of energy are mandated at Federal facilities by the Energy Policy Act of 2005. At present, none of Osan's annual $19 million energy bill is mitigated by renewable sources, mainly because of poor return on investment ratios and project funding competition. However, the new force protection facility being built at the location of the demolished Challenger Club will have a geothermal heat pump system installed to reduce the amount of energy needed to heat and cool the facility. We are also programming solar air heating panels to produce renewable energy at 17 buildings by 2018. So, the next time you see a chance to save energy by turning off bathroom lights when unoccupied, outdoor lights during the day, or a computer monitor at the end of the workday, you should realize that your actions can help reduce pollution of the Earth. Don't forget to report energy waste to the Osan AB Energy Management Office at 784-9176 or 784-9230.