By: Kayla Kenig

 Energy conservation over the years. 

 Energy pollution is an issue many people do not consider. If you compare a night sky in the Catskills to a night sky in New York City, there will be a drastic difference. A night sky in the beautiful Catskills shows bright, beaming stars. If you look at New York City, it’s a dark, cloudy sky. The reason for that being so is due to the amount of lights that give off pollution into the atmosphere that clouds our skies, also known as light pollution. 

 In recent years, to reverse the effects and put a halt to light pollution, many households and corporations switched to energy saving light bulbs to reduce the light pollution in the air. In addition to energy saving light bulbs, more houses and corporations have even started using solar energy to reduce emissions. The University at Buffalo has implemented a solar panel system that generates power for the whole school as opposed to traditional electricity methods.

 Major corporations have also invested in energy conservation protocol. Johnson Controls, CBRE, and General Electric have invested in Energy Efficiency as a Service. This allows for customers to have the option to use more energy efficient methods, thus having them use less energy and therefore pay less in energy bills. Customers will save energy, save money, and save the planet all at the same time. 

 Across New York State, all businesses have shifted to banning the usage of plastic bags to help preserve the environment and keep our water clean. Although we have made a lot of progress over the years, global warming and climate change will continue to be an issue in our society, however we can slow down the effects of human interaction by actively trying to keep the planet’s health in mind.