Energy Resources & Consumption
Consumption of resources, use of fossil fuels, nuclear energy, hydroelectric energy, renewable energy, conservation of resources
Article 1: Not So Conservative When It Comes to Saving Energy
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Summary: A study published in 2010 on the National Bureau of Economic Research website revealed that some conservatives respond badly to feedback on energy use; electricity consumption has been shown to be lower in more liberal communities. Economists Dora Costa and Matthew Kahn found that Democratic households with green bona fides (using renewable sources to pay for electricity, donating to environmental groups and living in a neighborhood of fellow liberals) will reduce consumption by 3 percent in responding to feedback, while Republican households who do not comply to helping the environment will increase consumption by 1 percent. Half of the homeowners in the study received home energy reports from OPOWER comparing their use of energy to those in their neighborhood; homeowners who used less energy than their neighbors received smiley faces.
Reflection: By reading this article, I learned that consumption of electricity has been shown to be lower in Democratic households than in Republican ones. Why this is so I do not know. The article simply stated the results without giving a detailed explanation of why Republican households as a whole didn't seem to care about being careful to reduce energy consumption. I think it is a great idea for organizations like OPOWER to send out reports to make people aware of how much energy they are using in comparison to how much their neighbors are using. Hopefully in the future people will be increasingly environmentally conscious and open to change their energy consumption habits.
Source: Scientific American
Reflection: By reading this article, I learned that consumption of electricity has been shown to be lower in Democratic households than in Republican ones. Why this is so I do not know. The article simply stated the results without giving a detailed explanation of why Republican households as a whole didn't seem to care about being careful to reduce energy consumption. I think it is a great idea for organizations like OPOWER to send out reports to make people aware of how much energy they are using in comparison to how much their neighbors are using. Hopefully in the future people will be increasingly environmentally conscious and open to change their energy consumption habits.
Source: Scientific American
Article 2: Turning to Water Conservation to Save Energy
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Summary: Water researchers and advocates met after the Copenhagen climate summit conference to address the fact that they did not discuss water issues. This was a big mistake because water-related energy consumption is very high. Many US states are reported to expect water shortages so many aware of this issue are trying to persuade people to reduce their water usage in order to reduce energy consumption. The US government has drafted several policy proposals focused on water conservation to address this issue such as the WaterSMART initiative and the Water and Energy Research Integration Act to keep a better eye on water consumption. Some believe that too much of the proposed legislation is on information and research, and needs to be on action.
Reflection: I learned from this article that reducing water use not only saves energy and greenhouse gas emissions, but is also a key way to adapt to climate change; most effects of global warming will come through our use of water resources. I also learned that high usage of water results in lots of carbon dioxide emissions which is bad for the environment. I knew that water conservation was important, but I did not realize that it was such a big issue and that many states are predicted to have water shortages in the near future.
Source: New York Times
Reflection: I learned from this article that reducing water use not only saves energy and greenhouse gas emissions, but is also a key way to adapt to climate change; most effects of global warming will come through our use of water resources. I also learned that high usage of water results in lots of carbon dioxide emissions which is bad for the environment. I knew that water conservation was important, but I did not realize that it was such a big issue and that many states are predicted to have water shortages in the near future.
Source: New York Times
Vocabulary
Bona fides: documentary evidence showing a person's legitimacy; credentials
OPOWER: a company that contracts with utilities to compare homeowners' energy use with that of neighboring homes of comparable size
Green party: an environmentalist political party
WaterSMART initiative: a strategy that would map and conserve water and measure the water consumption of various types of energy
Energy and Water Research Integration Act: measure that would direct the secretary of energy and other relevant federal agencies to establish the Energy-Water Architecture Council to improve energy and water-resource data collection, reporting and technological innovation
Source: Dictionary.com
Article 3: Wind Power Urged to Compete with Fossil Fuels Head-On
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Summary: Fossil fuels have increasingly becoming a significant environmental issue. Humans burn many fossil fuels which emit carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, which contributes to global warming and pollution. Wind power is an example of a way that could be much more environmentally friendly and not contribute to pollution and global warming. Some believe that wind energy cannot compete with fossil fuels. This article states that in order for wind power to solidify its standing in a highly competitive energy market, it must shift its focus. Instead of focusing on federal tax policies, it needs to seek a broader agenda that focuses on energy's strengths and fight back against those who say that wind cannot compete with fossil fuels for electricity generation. Rob Gramlich stated that wind developers have collaborated with environmental groups to encourage low-carbon energy. The industry has paid more attention to wildlife issues in recent years, through, for example, the establishment of the American Wind Wildlife Institute.
Reflection: Because the effects of fossil fuels have such an incredibly negative impact on the atmosphere and the environment, I believe that it is vital for scientists, environmentalists, and others to research, experiment, and look for alternate ways instead of burning fossil fuels. Using wind power could be a great way to shift the burden of increasing emissions of carbon dioxide to low-carbon energy. If many industries and companies switched to using wind power instead of fossil fuels, the atmosphere would be cleaner, there would be less pollution, and global warming would be less likely to occur. People should definitely look into an alternate source of energy because continuing to burn fossil fuels at the rate we have been producing them now is dangerous.
Source: Scientific American
Reflection: Because the effects of fossil fuels have such an incredibly negative impact on the atmosphere and the environment, I believe that it is vital for scientists, environmentalists, and others to research, experiment, and look for alternate ways instead of burning fossil fuels. Using wind power could be a great way to shift the burden of increasing emissions of carbon dioxide to low-carbon energy. If many industries and companies switched to using wind power instead of fossil fuels, the atmosphere would be cleaner, there would be less pollution, and global warming would be less likely to occur. People should definitely look into an alternate source of energy because continuing to burn fossil fuels at the rate we have been producing them now is dangerous.
Source: Scientific American