Driving along Sunrise Highway any night is a clear reminder that for many people in this country, it's business as usual. There is no war in Iraq; gasoline is cheap, America is not in the midst of an energy crisis and the way we did things in the past does not have to change. Most businesses, particularly the automobile dealerships, keep their lights on throughout the night, both inside and outside of their establishments. It's a terrible waste of energy.

We understand the need for security, particularly at these dealerships where million of dollars of automobiles are stored. Certainly a bright, well lit facility deters vandalism, theft and other crimes.

We have to find new ways of providing this kind of security without continuing to drain our resources. One alternative is to hire onsite security services where security officers can regularly patrol the premises throughout the night time hours. Then it would not be necessary to keep these lights on so bright and for so long.

There are many other things we can and should do to save energy, but this is at least a start.