We have to go faster
In the living room:
We need more light; more light=better
In the bedroom:
Let the heater run in the day; warmer for me at night
These scenarios can all be true in some situations however for the most part choices such as leaving your lights on or speeding your car up are unnecessary decisions and cost energy as a result. The truth is, conservation is far easier then investing in new research or engineering new innovations. The good news however is that over the last few decades, the USA has conserved more petroleum than it has consumed.