Chloe Epstein/The Ithacan

Turn off your lights. Turn off your computers. Turn off your TV. That’s the message from the Ithaca College Environmental Society, and it’s a good one.

The group is working to reduce campus energy use by 4 percent over the next year, a difficult but laudable goal. If this reduction in consumption is achieved, the college has agreed to consider investing the saved money in electricity produced by wind power plants.

But rather than simply considering the purchase of wind power, the college ought to commit to investing whatever money is saved in renewable resources.

One person turning off a few lights won’t make a major difference. But if 6,000 people make a conscious effort to reduce their frivolous use of electricity, significant change will ultimately be achieved.

The problem, unfortunately, is convincing an apathetic student body that individual actions can have a major impact on the world around them. The best way to accomplish this is by positive peer pressure. Students concerned about the environment must spread their message in productive ways. ICES ought to provide all members of the community with a list of practical things they can do to reduce their use of electricity.

ICES members must also help shed some light on myths surrounding the energy efficiency of fluorescent light bulbs. Many people still believe it’s better to leave fluorescent lights on all the time instead of turning them on and off. In fact, the bulbs ought to be turned off whenever they will not be needed within five to 15 minutes, according to documents from General Electric.

The college should be willing to support this admirable program for energy reduction. Though wind power may be more expensive, in the long run everyone will benefit from the early adoption of renewable energy sources. ICES might not reach its ambitious goal of saving the college $10,000 a month. But any money that this campaign saves the college should be spent purchasing wind power.

If everyone participates in this effort, Ithaca College can see a real decrease in energy use. So the next time you leave the bathroom, turn off the light. Just be sure you’re not leaving anyone in the dark.