True Green:Why Conserve Energy?Ways to conserve energy

Group 16 of 1B:•Eduardo Nioko•Sofia Dominguez•Marielle Villarino

Why Conserve Energy?▪ Energy should be conserved since we are consuming disproportionate

amount of energy and that day is not far when all our Non-Renewable resources will expire forcing us to rely just on Renewable Sources. The electricity that we use comes from nuclear power, coal power plants, Oil that we use to run our vehicles are fossil fuels that were created million of years ago from decaying plants. When burned they emit carbon-dioxide which is harmful to humans and the environment.

▪ Apart from these it also helps us to save money, mitigates the numerous adverse environmental and social impacts associated with energy production and consumption. These include air pollution, acid rain and global warming, oil spills and water pollution, loss of wilderness areas, construction of new power plants, foreign energy dependence and the risk of international conflict over energy supplies. Energy conservation extends the lifetime of equipment and reduces the maintenance cost by operating less hours and at less than maximum capacity.

Ways to conserve energy:At Home

Reduce

▪ Houses, Televisions, meals – as things gets bigger, so do the demands on earth. We can easily reduce our footprint by avoiding unnecessary consumption.

▪ Do you boil enough water for six cups of tea when you want only one? Do you leave the TV or stereo on when you leave the room? Do you throw things away unused? Small acts like this seem insignificant, but collectively they add up and contribute to global warming.▪ Less Waste▪ Less Pollution▪ Lower carbon emissions▪ Save Money

Reuse

▪ Most of what we consume ends up as garbage within months, weeks, days or even minutes. By extending the life cycle of products, we can cut down all that garbage. Try to buy items that are reusable or come in reusable packaging – and make sure you reuse them. Before you throw it away, ask yourself if that wrapping paper can be saved, that container refilled, that pair of shoes repaired or that machine fixed.▪ Less Waste▪ Less pollution▪ Lower carbon emissions▪ Save Money

Recycle

▪ Curbside recycling programs mean we now recycle more than 2.35 million tons of glass bottles, 54 billion aluminum cans and billions more plastic and paper items every year. Recycling reduces landfill and saves resources: Recycling an aluminum can uses only 5% of the energy to make a new one, recycling glass uses 50% of the energy, and every ton of recycled saves 60% of the energy, 17 trees, 7,000 gallons of water, and 60 pounds of air pollution. Yet most people admit to being confused about what they can and can’t recycle. Throwing the wrong trash in the recycling bin can contaminate the collection and undermine the viability of recycling efforts.▪ Less waste▪ Lower carbon emissions▪ Less pollution

Solar Water Heater▪ Water heating accounts for a large chunk of the greenhouse gas

produces by an average household’s energy use and 15% of a home’s energy bills. Every 3.5 gallons of water heated by a conventional electric water heater generate more than two pounds of emissions. There are more efficient ways to heat your household water, including on-demand, tankless, and heat pump water heaters. One of the most efficient options, however, is to use the sun’s rays to heat your waiter. If you have an electric hot-water heater and an unshaded, south-facing location on your property, consider installing a solar water heater. A hot solar water heater can provide up to 90% of a household’s hot-water needs and pay for itself within 5 years. Moreover, using a solar hot-water heater will eliminate more than 2.5 tons of CO2 emissions every year.▪ Less Water consumption▪ Lower greenhouse emissions▪ Lower water and energy bills

Ways to conserve energy:In the community

Refuse plastic bags

▪ Plastic bags are one of the most ubiquitous items on the planet. Their use can typically be measured in minutes – the time it takes you to get home from the store – but the bags can last for hundreds of years. Those airborne bags, often called “urban tumbleweed,” clog sewers, gutters, and waterways and are swallowed by hundreds of thousands of whales, turtles, and other marine life. The oceans are full of tiny fragments of plastic slowly working their way into the food chain. So take a reusable bag when you go shopping, and say “no” to plastic bags offered at shops and grocery stores.▪ Less energy and water consumption▪ Lower carbon emissions▪ Less waste▪ Healthier environment

Balance your diet

▪ About 132 gallons of water are required to produce a pound of potatoes, 505 gallons to produce a pound of rice, and a whopping 26,400 gallons to produce one pound of grain-fed beef. Agriculture is the second largest source of greenhouse gases after the energy sector. Choose to eat less resource-intensive meat such as chicken and turkey, and eat more grains, fruits and vegetables.▪ Less energy and water consumption▪ Lower carbon emissions

Sources:

McKay, K. and Bonnin, J. (2006), True Green: 100 Everyday Ways You Can Contribute To A Healthier Planet. Washington D.C.: National Geographic Society

http://www.conserve-energy-future.com/WhyConserveEnergy.php