Treehumper

Great Falls, Wisconsin, resident Ron Cooper remembered to turn off a non-essential surge protector in his den earlier today. He cited the need for everyone to try their best to conserve energy for the good of the planet as the biggest influence on his decision.

“I’m always telling myself to turn that power strip off when I go out for a while, or if I think I might not watch TV for a while,” Cooper said. “But it usually slips my mind.” Aside from the television in his den, Cooper’s power strip also is home to a six-year-old DVD player’s plug, as well as a cell phone charger for a phone Cooper lost last April before finally springing for an iPhone.

Although Cooper was proud of his environmentally conscious brainstorm, his daughter Celia was less impressed. “I try to turn on the TV to watch SYTYCD, and… nothing. It took me like five minutes to figure out that Dad had turned off the stupid power strip. What the hell?”

In all, it appears the power strip in question was left switched off for about 48 minutes, possibly preventing about three ounces of carbon dioxide emissions. “If I can just do things like that a bit more often,” Cooper said, “I think we’ll be on the right track to saving the planet.”