Saving Energy
wind, geothermal and hydro. These types of energy are constantly being renewed or restored. But many of the other forms of energy we use in our homes and cars are not being replenished. Fossil fuels took millions of years to create. They cannot be made over night. And there are finite or limited amounts of these non-renewable energy sources. That means they cannot be renewed or replenished. Once they are gone they cannot be used again. So, we must all do our part in saving as much energy as we can. In your home, you can save energy by turning off appliances, TVs and radios that are not being used, watched or listened to.
By putting insulation in walls and attics, we can reduce the amount of energy it takes to heat or cool our homes. Insulating a home is like putting on a sweater or jacket when we're cold...instead of turning up the heat. The outer layers trap the heat inside, keeping it nice and warm. New space-age materials are being developed that insulate even better. This person's fingers are protected by Aerogel Insulation Material created by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The person cannot even feel the flame! Energy efficiency is the quickest, cheapest, cleanest way to extend our world's energy supplies.
Reducing energy use is an effective way to help cash-strapped schools funnel more money into the classroom instead of the local utility. Just as important, the concept of energy efficiency provides multidisciplinary learning opportunities in math, science, and language arts. The Alliance to Save Energy offers educators a wide range of tools and resources to bring energy efficiency into the classroom to save energy while helping students build vital real-world skills.
Improving how we use energy may seem like an "experts only" issue, to be handled by utility planners, the federal government, and various energy professionals. But the good news is that there are no experts when it comes to implementing sustainable energy practices. Citizens and businesses don't have to wait for anyone else to lead the way. You can start right now in your community to put energy efficiency to work. Homes, neighborhoods, workplaces, shopping centers, schools, transportation systems, and public buildings are all full of energy-saving opportunities. Some people in your community may have already independently tapped such opportunities in their homes and businesses and reaped the rewards. Asking New Questions Communities can save billions of dollars by asking new questions about the way they meet energy needs. The conventional approach was to ask: "How do we get more barrels of oil? How do we generate more kilowatt-hours of electricity?" Yet nobody wants barrels of sticky black goo or raw kilowatt hours for their own sake. What we are really after are the hot showers and cold beer, lighting, productivity, mobility, comfort, and the other "end-use" services that energy provides. Instead, we could ask: "How can we provide these hot showers and cold beer in the cheapest and most efficient way, counting all financial, social, and environmental costs?" Answering this question opens up a wealth of win-win environmental and economic opportunities. Taking advantage of these opportunities is also much more profitable than developing expensive new energy sources. This "end-use/least-cost" approach can cost-effectively reduce energy use, typically by at least a third and up to 90 percent in some cases, with the same or improved quality of service. Thanks to the use of more efficient automobiles, buildings, computers, appliances, and factories, the United States has already reduced energy expenditures by more than $150 billion a year from 1973 levels. While part of this energy bill reduction is attributable to the economy shifting from manufacturing to services, at least 75 percent of these savings are due to increased energy efficiency. As impressive as these improvements are, far greater savings remain untapped. A transition to efficiency and renewables would result in billions of dollars freed up for domestic investment, over a million new jobs created by 2010, new export opportunities, a healthier environment, and greater comfort and productivity. All this from asking a few new questions about how best to meet our energy needs! |
| Importance of Saving Energy |
| How Save Energy. |
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