During the Energy Crisis of the late 1970s, I worked in a large department store.  When the price of electricity increased, we bought less of it.  By the time the government did anything, we had already cut our consumption in half.  Above the sales floor were large banks of lights.  Each bank had four fixtures, each with two fluorescent bulbs.  First we disconnected two fixtures in each bank and replaced them with ceiling tile.  When the price of electricity continued to rise, we disconnected one of the two remaining fixtures in each bank.  We reduced our overhead lighting to one quarter of what it had been and found that we still had plenty of light.  We also purchased “energy-efficient” light bulbs and replaced the old bulbs as they burned out.  When we had replaced almost all of the old bulbs, the City announced a rebate program that would pay most of the cost of replacing old bulbs with “energy-efficient” ones,...(Read Full Post)