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Conserve Energy - Help Save the World
Conserving energy is all about efficiency - getting the same or better results from just a fraction of the energy. For example, replacing wasteful incandescent light bulbs with energy-saving compact fluorescent ones will get the same light for 80 percent less power.
A state-of-the-art water boiler with a digitally controlled pump, and wrapped insulation around the pipes slashes 60 percent off electricity bills. Lower energy needs reduce annual carbon emissions by more than 200 metric tons. With the world worried about energy supplies, efficiency holds the answer.
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"Increasing energy efficiency is the largest, least expensive, most benign, most quickly deployable, least visible, least understood and most neglected way" to meet future energy demand, says energy guru Amory Lovins, head of the Colorado-based Rocky Mountain Institute.
The word 'conservation' suggests a mode of behaviour that requires an individual to forgo some personal comforts. Turning down the thermostat, switching off lights, turning off running faucets while shaving or brushing your teeth, walking or cycling instead of driving and taking short showers are viewed as a personal sacrifice to some. The concept of conservation should not be looked upon as an inconvenience but as a way of smart living. With today's energy efficient technology, it is easier than ever before to incorporate conservation into our daily lives. |
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The use of water boilers, space heaters, air conditioners and other heating and cooling technologies have been notoriously inefficient-only a fraction of the energy pumped into them is actually used to change the temperature. The heat pump has altered that equation. It removes ambient heat from the air outside or the ground below and uses it to supply heat to a building or its water supply. In the summer, the system can be reversed to cool buildings as well. Hybrid cars, light sensors, high efficiency furnaces and efficient management control systems are some other examples of efficient devices. If there's a need to commute to work and there is no public transport, an individual can either car pool or drive a gas or electric hybrid automobile. When the size of your home is like a castle, just make sure the walls are well insulated and the heating and cooling system has an aggressive energy-efficiency rating.
In the next 20 years much of the expected increase in energy needs will be met by coal-based electric generation, with another feasible option being nuclear power, which raises waste management worries. Import of energy from other countries can negatively affect the United States trade balance and pose a serious national security risk. Since new technologies take years to be available to all, it is imperative to make conservation a priority.
Conservation by using energy-efficient devices is the most inexpensive, fastest and safest way to extend the energy supplies. Law makers should continue to be encouraged to put policies in place to limit the size of automobiles and American auto makers should be encouraged to introduce new hybrid cars each year. The IRS allows several models of hybrid cars to be income tax deductible. These are positive steps in the right direction for reinforcing the importance of conservation.
The problems of conservation are intricate, with ever changing challenges that involve politics, economics and cultures. Political and business leaders worldwide will take the lead to initiate an active vision for research, policy advocacy, education and communication that will enable public and private partnerships to collaborate with strategies to optimize renewable resources and provide continuing growth in technology to provide energy efficiency. Efficient technology is here now, proven and cheap. Compared with all our other options, it's the biggest, easiest and most profitable by far.
Global warming is a threat that will affect generations to come. The atmosphere surrounding us that supports life is a God-given gift. It must be protected. We should be leaders in efforts to fight global warming, not resistant followers.
Erin Hunt is an avid writer and activist. She discovered that many are still unaware of the dangers of global warming and thus created a website to educate others on how they can play a role in the fight against global warming. Find out more about the effects and causes of global warming and how you can make a difference at http://www.fightagainstglobalwarming.com
Article Source: EzineArticles.com/?expert=Erin_Hunt
What You Can Do
Spread the word
- Tell people you conserve energy and use enery efficient appliances.
- Read a book that explains how to conserver energy.
- Look for small ways you can conserve energy every day.
Where you can buy it
Your Complete Guide To Renewable Energy
Your Green Home
The Party's Over: Oil, War And The Fate Of Industrial Societies
Get the Facts
Why Conserve Energy - National Wildlife Federation
Conserve Energy - Help Save the World
Reduce Energy - U.S. Dept. of Energy
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