UNIT-3

Energy Consumption
and Climate Change
Current Energy Scenario
Measure taken to protect
environment
Bring your own bags.
•It's such a simple thing to do, and so beneficial for the environment––bringing your own bags to
stores not only helps cut down on the number of bags needed, and by extension the resources
needed to create them, it also means that fewer bags get thrown away into our already-overfull
landfills.
•And yet, it's really, really easy to walk out the door without them. Our solution? Put your reusable
bags right near something that you always grab when you go out the door, like your keys or your
shoes. Better yet, keep some in your car. You never know when you might need one, and going
reusable really does make a difference.1
Grow your own food.
•It's not only a great way to avoid many of the common nasties that make their way into so much
store bought food, plants help release much-needed oxygen into the air, and can also help replenish
the soil, depending on which types of plants you're working with. Think you don't have room to
plant a garden? Think again. There are many ways to grow food in containers in even the tiniest of
spaces, so have fun experimenting (not to mention enjoying your guilt-free veggies and herbs!).
Contd…
Spend time in your garden.
•If you do have enough outdoor space to have a garden, try spending a little extra time in it. Doing so is
good for your health in so many ways, from helping you maintain healthy stress levels to giving your
immune system a little extra zing.
•What's more, it means that you'll be cultivating plants (which do so much for our planet, when given half a
chance), you’re surrounded by your own flowers instead of having to ship them in from halfway around the
world, and you'll be able to cut down on your use of electronics. Who needs TV when you have a whole
miniature world laid out for you in the garden?
•If you have kids, spending time with them in the garden is a fantastic way to teach them about the
environment and our role in caring for it, plus it’s the perfect way to diversify their microbiome!
Cut down on your energy use.
•It's really easy to carelessly waste energy––leaving a light bulb on here and there, keeping the air conditioning
on at home when you're out at work all day––but it all adds up. Try to cut down on your energy use by being
conscious of how you use electronics. (Doing this will help you save on your electricity bill too, so win-win.) 2
•Looking for suggestions? Try switching out your light bulbs for energy efficient bulbs, only run the dishwasher
and washing machine when they're full, and look out for "vampire" devices—electronics that keep using energy
even when they're not in use, like microwaves, TVs, and printers.
Contd…
Turn off your devices.
•While you've got energy on your mind, consider turning off your devices for at least a little
bit every day. Constantly having your phone or pad on the go means that you're
consistently having to recharge it, which is energy use that we could do without. Plus, all
that use means that your devices will wear out faster (and consequently will be discarded
faster). Since many devices are not fully recyclable, that translates to heavy metals leaching
into our soil and water. And, it's not good for your health to spend a lot of time looking at
screens, so do yourself (and the planet) a favor and switch them off.3
Snag a reusable water bottle.
•Staying hydrated is critical for your health, but don't do it at the expense of the
environment. Besides being iffy for your health, plastic water bottles are really not great for
the environment––parts of them can't be recycled yet, and they often end up being eaten
by marine animals.4 What's more, it takes a lot of fossil fuels to make plastic bottles, so
they're tough on the planet all around. Do your part to help out by using a reusable water
bottle, ideally one that's made of glass or a non-BPA plastic so you don't have to worry
about unwanted substances leaching into your water.
Contd…
Try Meatless Mondays.
•Our modern Western diet is actually an anomaly in the history of humanity. With its
emphasis on processed, sugary foods and lots of meat, it's not very healthy for us,
and it's definitely not very healthy for the planet. Try branching out into vegetarian
and vegan recipes, which have come a long way in the past couple of decades. There
are lots of delicious options, and you can enjoy knowing that your food isn't coming
at a high cost to the planet or your health.
Choose local produce.
•What's even better than a vegetarian meal? A vegetarian meal that's made with
local produce. Eating local has become kind of a trend in the past couple of years,
and for good reason: it's not only a good way to get some truly delicious food, it also
lets you help out the people in your community who work hard to grow it, plus it cuts
down on transport, which means fewer emissions and less packaging. If you're not
sure where to start, try searching for a local CSA or see if there's a farmer's market
near you.
Clean like your grandparents did.
•While we've become accustomed to a certain level of cleanliness in our modern society, it's
actually really overzealous. The harsh cleaning products we use without a second thought are not
only terrible for the environment, they really do a number on your gut bacteria! 5 So try to choose
natural cleaning products instead, trade in your paper towels for cloth, and keep your cleaning
products out of the water as much as possible so that they don't affect our already beleaguered
marine life.
Use a natural sunscreen.
•Finally, go eco-friendly even when you're soaking up the sun by using a natural sunscreen instead
of the more common chemical-filled ones, since the chemicals found in many conventional
sunscreens have been shown to have a devastating effect on ocean life, especially coral reefs. 6
•If you're wondering how something that's so harmful to coral reefs (which are, after all, made of
hard materials) could be safe to put on your children, the answer is...it's not. The skin is a porous
barrier, meaning that whatever you put on it can potentially pass through into your body. This is
particularly concerning in the case of children, since their bodies in general are more delicate.
Measures taken for Conservation of energy
Adjust your day-to-day behaviors
•To reduce energy consumption in your home, you do not necessarily need
to go out and purchase energy efficient products.
•Energy conservation can be as simple as turning off lights or appliances
when you do not need them.
• You can also use energy-intensive appliances less by performing household
tasks manually, such as hang-drying your clothes instead of putting them in
the dryer, or washing dishes by hand.
•There are tools you can use to figure out where most of your electricity is
going in your home. A home energy monitor can help you understand which
appliances are using the most electricity on a day-to-day basis.
Contd…
Replace your light bulbs
•Traditional incandescent light bulbs consume an excessive amount of
electricity and must be replaced more often than their energy efficient
alternatives.
•Halogen incandescent bulbs, compact fluorescent lights (CFLs), and light-
emitting diode bulbs (LEDs) use anywhere from 25-80% less electricity and
last three to 25 times longer than traditional bulbs.
•Although energy efficient bulbs are more expensive off the shelf, their
efficient energy use and longer service lives mean that they cost less in the
long run.
•Energy efficient bulbs are the clear winners in terms of their environmental
and financial benefits.
Contd…
Use smart power strips
•“Phantom loads,” or the electricity used by electronics when they are
turned off or in standby mode, are a major source of energy waste.
• In fact, it is estimated that 75% of the energy used to power household
electronics is consumed when they are switched off, which can cost you up
to $200 per year.
•Smart power strips, also known as advanced power strips, eliminate the
problem of phantom loads by shutting off the power to electronics when
they are not in use.
•Smart power strips can be set to turn off at an assigned time, during a
period of inactivity, through remote switches, or based on the status of a
“master” device.
Contd…
Install a programmable or smart thermostat
•A programmable or smart thermostat can be set to automatically turn off or
reduce heating and cooling during the times when you are asleep or away.
•When you install a programmable thermostat, you eliminate wasteful
energy use from heating and cooling without upgrading your HVAC system or
sacrificing any comfort.
•On average, a programmable thermostat can save you $180 per year.
Programmable thermostats come in different models that can be set to fit
your weekly schedule.
•Additional features of programmable thermostats can include indicators for
when to replace air filters or HVAC system problems, which also improve the
efficiency of your heating and cooling system.
Contd…
Purchase energy efficient appliances
•On average, appliances are responsible for 13% of your total household energy use.
•When purchasing an appliance, you should pay attention to two numbers: the
initial purchase price and the annual operating cost.
•Although energy efficient appliances usually have higher purchase prices, their
operating costs are 9-25% lower than conventional models.
•When purchasing an energy efficient appliance, you should look for appliances with
the ENERGY STAR label, which is a federal guarantee that the appliance will consume
less energy during use and when on standby than standard non-energy efficient
models.
•Energy savings differ based on the specific appliance. For example, ENERGY STAR
certified clothes washers consume 25% less energy and 45% less water than
conventional ones, whereas ENERGY STAR refrigerators use only 9% less energy.
Energy Policy & Strategy
• Energy is often an organization's third largest overhead after salaries
and accommodation costs. We offer energy policy and strategy
services, can provide support on policy formulation and have the
practical skills to help with implementation.
The importance of having an energy policy and
strategy
• Unlike salaries and accommodation, energy is an overhead where
effective ongoing management can:
• Reduce costs.
• Improve internal conditions.
• Provide positive publicity and improve reputation.
• Improve maintenance performance.
• Engage staff.
• Concerns over energy prices, security of supplies, the emergence of
new legislation and ongoing competitive pressures are compelling
many organisations to revisit their approach to managing energy.
Developing and energy policy
and strategy
• In order to implement an effective approach, the first step is to develop a
practical, coherent and holistic energy policy, supported by a clear strategy
to deliver it.
• It's also essential that any policy is designed to reflect an organization's
own cultural and environmental profile and objectives.
• A successful energy policy and strategy must be endorsed and adopted at a
senior level and carefully embedded into an organization's own business
systems.
• This provides the best opportunity for the delivery of a robust, appropriate
and prioritized approach.
• It will also help maximize business efficiency and minimize management
costs.
Our energy policy and strategy
services
• We offer and can provide support with:
• Writing corporate and strategic energy policies.
• Setting global and site specific energy targets.
• Investment planning for energy initiatives.
• Implementation of energy policy initiatives using practical systems and
methodologies.
• Specification of monitoring and targeting regimes.
• Staff training and engagement programmes.
• We can also advise corporate clients on policy formulation and have the practical
skills to help with implementation. Our staff have solid experience of client and
contractor roles, so we understand the needs and problems of the key parties
involved.