Is energy too cheap? Is conservation a dirty word? What would you say to “Jimmy Cardigan”? With regards to alternative energy sources (renewable's) are you a "free-marketeer" or proponent of government intervention to steer us away from fossil fuels? In your opinion, what type of renewable energy has the most upside potential? What steps can you take 1) tomorrow and 2) within the next five years to reduce your energy footprint?
Energy is worth 10 cents per kilowatt hour. Many people would say that this isn't much, but if you calculate the amount of energy that a household uses in one day, its more than what you'd think. I personally do believe that energy isn't too cheap, but I do think that the price should go up. If energy was more expensive, even if it was by a couple more cents, more people would be willing to change their lifestyles so that they are saving money, thus saving energy. Saving money has a better ring to it, for most people, than saving the environment. Conservation is not a dirty word, but a word that needs to be instilled into our daily lives. This means turning the sink off when we brush our teeth, not letting the shower run, turning the lights of when someone leaves the room, and so on. This may come to a surprise, but these slight alterations really make all the difference, in the long run.
With regards to alternative energy sources, I would tell Mr. Jimmy Cardigan that he was a bit too ambitious. He asked the American people to lower their thermostats to a frigid 65 degrees Fahrenheit, during the winter time, and just put on an extra sweater to keep warm. Jimmy Carter had great intentions, but no one in their right minds would make an already cold house even colder, just to conserve fossil fuels. I think its a great idea if the government manages the way energy gets used throughout the country, but at the current moment in time, fossil fuels is a main source of energy for us. In order to build the eco-friendly devices fossil fuels have to be used. So for right now, the best we can do is be more sustainable with our resources and conserve them for years to come.
In my opinion, I would say that using solar energy seems to be the most sustainable. If there can be mini solar panels on calculators, that take up no space whatsoever, I am sure, that with the right technology, smaller panels, that absorb the same amount of energy as the larger ones, if not more, for households and buildings can be created as well.
To reduce my energy footprint tomorrow I will recycle more, shut off the water when I am not using it, un-plug any electronics that are not in use, and produce less waste by buying more biodegradable products. As for in five years, I hope to continue the same process but also purchase a car that has better gas mileage, than the cars today.
No comments:
Post a Comment