In this day and age, problems like global warming, widespread fossil fuel use, and high carbon emissions are “having significant and harmful effects on our communities, our health, and our climate” (Union of Concerned Scientists, 2014). “To limit [this], the world is going to have to get a lot better at using energy smartly” (Hope, 2014). One such way is by reducing the amount of energy we consume or waste on a daily basis; in other words, being more energy efficient. Energy Efficiency is “using less energy to provide the same service.” Something is more energy efficient if it delivers maximum production for less energy input. For example, energy efficient microwaves provide the same service as conventional ones however they require “30 …show more content…
More than half of these greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide which is released during the burning of fossil fuels. However, by using less energy and committing to energy efficiency (i.e. driving electric or hybrid type vehicles, creating a lower demand for energy, buying energy efficient appliances), we can reduce the amount of fossil fuels needed to be burned and in turn, stop global warming or climate change. In addition to that, being energy efficient in homes and buying energy efficient appliances can significantly benefit one’s pocket. Simple things like “replacing old incandescent light bulbs with CFL or LED lights can save one up to 30-80% on energy bills”, and buying “Energy Star appliances can save one up to 30% on electricity bills” annually (Alliance to Save Energy, 2012). Also, simple daily tasks done in a different way (more efficiently), such as washing clothes in cold water or keeping one’s tires inflated, could bring up to $60 of savings annually (Alliance to save Energy, 2012). These small things done to promote efficiency at home and at work help cities and countries save on a bigger level. For example, America, the number one GHG emitter, saved more than $500 billion in energy costs by using 56% less energy; that’s enough to power 12 states for a year (Alliance to save Energy, 2012). That money that would have been spent on energy could now be spent on improving energy efficiency by building energy efficient buildings, educating about consuming
Some of the ways to spend less money on energy is to use Energy-Star appliances. Their energy efficient and can save 30% to 80% on our electricity bill. Thats adds up to $50 or more than $100 in annual savings.
Getting CFL bulbs can save you over $40 a year rather than keeping your regular incandescent lights. Purchasing water conserving showerheads and toilets can also help not only by cutting emissions, but it will save you money too! When building or purchasing a house, be sure that the insulation in it isn't bad. It needs to be good and reliable. This saves on energy and your money as well. Widows are important too. These are just a few out of the hundreds of ways that you can help. So when people think that they can't help, or have no authority when it comes to reducing the amount of carbon dioxide you use, each person can help. If every person took this serious and pulled their share, maybe the carbon dioxide emissions wouldn't be as high and maybe our oceans wouldn't have to suffer.
In early 2013, the attention of the world was turned to the smog in China. The southern parts of the country were covered by dense smog that made it impossible for road transportation. While transportation might have been the most affected by the smog, there were also concerns about the health impacts of the smog on people. Analysts indicated that since the smog was associated with the heavy industrialization taking place in Southern China, it was possible that the smog could poison the people. As such, the movement of people was very limited until the situation normalized. While smog continues to be a major environmental problem in China, the situation is not unique to China. Many countries are struggling with devastating environmental conditions. For example, the 2010 drought and famine in the horn of Africa have been attributed to global warming and so is the increasing frequency and severity of hurricanes in North America. The main cause of these problems has been identified to be the dependence of the world on fossil fuels such as oil, natural gas, and coal. According to Rambo (2013), about eighty percent of the global energy supplies originate from carbon-based fuels, which are fossil fuels. This notwithstanding, their emissions are connected to environmental pollution. They are also linked to an escalation in global temperatures and interference with climatic patterns. On the other hand, it is has been reported that being exposed to indoor pollution causes respiratory
Support for these claims are documented through extensive research into numerous practices that individuals could take part in to diminish their carbon footprint and greenhouse gases emissions. These small changes include of catching public transport more regularly, replacing regular incandescent light bulbs with energy efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) which use 60% less energy than a regular bulb and buy more locally grown and produced foods.
Therefore, Americans should be encouraged to be eco-friendly at home. The Unites States Environmental Protection Agency says “replace your five most frequently used light fixtures or the light bulbs in them with ENERGY STAR” (“What You Can Do: At Home”). This is an easy step that will save you money and reduce the fossil fuels released into the environment. Also ENERGY STAR appliances are helpful with saving you money too. “Over their lifetimes, products in your home that have earned the ENERGY STAR label can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about 130,000 pounds and save you $11,000 on energy bills” (“What You Can Do: At Home”), according to The Unites States Environmental Protection Agency. Recycling at home is very important to the prevention of global warming; “Reducing, reusing, and recycling in your home helps conserve energy and reduces pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from resource extraction, manufacturing, and disposal.” (“What You Can Do: At Home”), said by The Unites States Environmental Protection Agency. If we recycle our cans, bottles, etc., Prevent the flow of waste into local bodies of water. Another way to make your home eco-friendly is being cautious about your appliances. As the Department of Ecology state of Washington states, “Some TV models use more electricity when they're off than when they're operating. Plug them and other appliances into a surge protector; switch off the surge protector after you turn
In the past 100 years, the population of the world has gone from about 2 million people to just over 7 million people. With this drastic change in population in such a short period of time compared to the total age of the earth, problems are no doubtable going to arise. From the demand of the ever rising human population on the earth, food accessibility, depletion of natural resources, and an increase in global warming affects all have detrimental consequences on our human population and our own earth that may not be reservable. As humans need space to live, and as cities expand, farm land is being taken over by subdivisions. Thus, where is the food coming from to feed all these people with less farmland? With the first world lifestyle a dream for the majority of the population in the world, it is a wistful lifestyle that is very depended on the natural resources our earth has to offer such as fresh water, natural gas, and petrol. Once these resources are gone, they are gone. And as humans abuse the land that we live on, negative effect such as smog, rising oceans, and stronger super storms have a negative impact on humans and on the ecosystem of the earth swell. With these attributes that come with an increase in population, without a sustainable solution, the health and safety of the human population as a whole, as well as the earth, all suffers dramatically. Data from worldometers.info shows a 2.3 times from crease of births this year compared to deaths. With all these
Global Warming is a big topic in today’s world, and many people aren’t aware of the damages they are causing the planet. Global warming endangers our health, jeopardizes our national security, and threatens our basic human needs. Some impacts such as record high temperatures, rising seas, severe flooding and droughts are already becoming increasingly common. Although some people do not think they are causing global warming; I am here to let them know that the majority of global warming’s causes falls in the lap of the human race. People cause global warming every day by doing the many things they do daily. The main cause of global warming is the pollution people are putting in the atmosphere every day. This pollution happens each day from people driving cars, and the carbon dioxide that these cars put off. There are many ways to prevent this, and a lot of scientists are starting to make people more aware with the research and the facts that they are finding. Scientists are also starting to try to get people on their side by creating documentations to present their facts and findings to the public. “The National Center for Atmospheric Research” said this, “Many people don’t realize that we are committed right now to a significant amount of global warming and sea level rise…the longer we wait to do something about it, the more change we will have.”(Meehl)
To help lower the risks of climate change people must take into considerations of changing the way their households are being powered. By lowering the amount of water or electricity used daily can shed dollars off someone’s bill while using less energy. A typical household wastes 260 gallons of water a day, but that can be reduced by installing new water efficient washers and toilets, fixing leaking faucets, and minimizing the use of water for landscaping (“Water Conservation Practices Benefit Communities Nationwide” 4). It is no secret people are in love with long, hot showers, but by installing a showerhead that has a set timer on it can destroy this bad habit. By lowering the amount of water someone uses can save the amount of energy that water uses to be pumped, or warmed up. There also small items like LED light bulbs that are more energy efficient than their older counterparts. LED light bulbs use about one sixth the amount of wattage an old incandescent light bulb uses to produce 800 lumens, the measurement of light (Locke 4, 5). LED light bulbs can easily be purchased at almost every store an incandescent or CFL bulb is sold at, and LEDs are compatible with every kind a of socket. There are plenty of steps people can do to lower their household carbon footprint. One major idea to help a house becoming greener is to install solar panels on its rooftop. The average net carbon reduction from solar panel system is the equivalent to not burning 166,000 pounds of coal
Nowadays, Global warming is an incontrovertible fact, which proves that our planet and its climate are in trouble. Well global warming is a term that denotes a slow warming of the earth’s regular temperature. It was also named exclusively man-made effects, in particular carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide has largely increased during the past forty years, and scientists concluded that the average earth temperature has increased solely based on man-made activities such as the burning of fossil fuels, respiration of living organisms, cultivation of land, decay of dead organisms and deforestation. The study of global warming involves many sciences in order to examine the causes of global warming and try to find
Reducing the quantity of energy that we use is a good way to save money and decrease energy conservation.
Reducing the quantity of energy that we use is a good way to save money and decrease energy conservation.
The environment we inhabit is drastically changing due to the detrimental global warming and climate change, it is likely our Earth will become strenuous to live in. There are sufficient scientific studies that have shown how the negative effects of global warming can threaten the human race. It has shown that disasters will accumulate if we take no further actions to protect our Earth. Governments don’t make all the decisions in the society, but they make a lot of these structural decisions and climate change is a structural issue. They have astronomical and elusive role to guide the choices that society makes in order to reduce harmful emissions. We need to assiduously plan to avoid any more calamitous to the ecosphere, and together we
There is a serious situation is occurring on planet Earth that is causing a significant and harmful effect on communities, health, and the climate. It is Global Warming which can be defined as the constant heating of Earth 's surface, oceans and atmosphere. In order to understand global warming, the most important basic is to figure out how the of greenhouse effect plays an important part in its development. The greenhouse effect is caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) that trap heat in the atmosphere that keeps the Earth warm. The information this text will discuss is the meaning of global warming, the causes, and most importantly how citizens can help to rectify the situation. Humanity must tickle this problem immediately before the consequences increase and affect the entire planet.
Energy is one of the world’s greatest inventions of all time. We use energy on a daily basis for just about everything. Our way of life is based upon energy and how we use it. We use large amounts of energy for transportation and electricity. Due to the limited supply of resources available to us we need to make sure that we conserve them wisely so that these resources will be around for future generations. It is imperative that consumer start to take responsibility for their actions. There are two ways to conserve energy; one is by using energy efficient technologies and the other is by changing our habits. Individual efforts combined with governmental support will assist in decreasing energy usage which will in turn create a
You do not have to do without to achieve these savings. There is now an energy efficient alternative for almost every kind of appliance or light fixture. That means that consumers have a real choice and the power to change their energy use on a revolutionary scale.