If students would just shut off their computers and Instant Messengers before dozing off each night, think of the energy this school could save.
To promote such environmental awareness, Penn's Institute for Environmental Studies kicked off a series of seminars last Friday with "Research, Development and Deployment of U.S. Clean Energy Technologies."
"Our aim with the series is to provide a forum across all schools and the community to come together to hear environmental issues," said Peter Petraitis, Biology professor and IES director. "This first seminar was chosen because with the [Bush] administration, energy is going to be a very big issue."
The first seminar featured Brian Connor, the acting director of the Department of Energy's acting director Philadelphia regional office.
In nine years, the United States could be 70 percent dependent on foreign oil, according to Connor, who stressed the future implications of energy efficiency in his talk.
The United States "needs more energy and we have to compete for it," Connor said, adding that the six regional offices around the country are looking to other forms of energy as well as developing means of utilizing renewable energy.
"I think a lot of students are unaware of energy in general," said Ann-Ariel Vecchio, a College junior. "The University needs to promote awareness and needs to increase their role in using more efficient types of energy."
"Students could start turning off their computers to save energy, and there are many ways of raising the consciousness of a student body that is relatively indifferent to energy efficiency," Petraitis said.
Connor's regional department is focusing on implementing efficient energy and "clean power technologies" -- eventually offering them to the general public. By the end of the year, the department will have weatherized five million homes, which means installing low-cost, low-maintenance solar water heaters.
"You could have the greatest invention since sliced bread, but if you're going to market it, you better have a customer," Connor said. His department has found it difficult to inform the public of new technology and efficient uses of energy.
"There are [mid-sized] cars out there with triple fuel efficiency compared to a current mid-sized car and they're only moderately more expensive," Connor said. "Until we can effectively work and cooperate with the auto industries, you won't see a lot of those cars."
The IEP, through their fall seminar series, aims to educate Penn, the professional community and the public about issues through speakers like Connor.
The series will showcase a different speaker each Friday in the Wistar Institute. This week's speaker is Barbara Sexton, executive deputy secretary for policy and communications at the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
