Energy or heat producing systems that run directly on fossil fuels have been most profoundly impacted by the recent meteoric rise in their price. However, all systems are affected due to the “petroleum-cost” of constructing and maintaining a renewable energy collection, storage and conservation systems. Having a populous that is capable to demonstrating heroic energy savings will cushion the inevitable blow of running out of oil while slowing the onset of severe climate change impacts.
There are many reasons why the price of oil has gone up. While some may argue whether this is an example of a speculation bubble, it is certain that the price will never go back to a resting medium anywhere near what it was at the turn of the 21st century. While the US government has been slow to act and help out with an energy savings plan, some simple changes can help your heating and cooling efficiency quite a bit.
For instance, the two things that people use the most energy on is personal transportation and climate control. Energy savings in either of these areas can be accomplished to a surprising degree by simply doing proper maintenance and changing your usage patterns.
For instance, you don’t need to buy a hybrid vehicle to enjoy improvement in fuel efficiency by maintaining proper tire inflation, changing the oil regularly, getting regular tune-ups and making sure the fuel and air filters are clean. These all add up.
When combined with eliminating jack-rabbit starts and combining trips, many people have managed to insulate their fuel budget from the price of gas and diesel to some extent.
In the home, most people have made some effort to keep their heating bills down by insulating, installing curtains and keeping some rooms cool for the season. By just taking two rooms out of winter circulation in an average North American home, you can show significant energy savings.
Should one choose to invest in in a new energy efficient furnace, insulate the attic and walls or replace single paned windows, all that energy usage that would normally contribute to climate change is now used far more efficiently.
Just as was done in the 1970s, conservation of our finite energy resources, whether they come from renewable sources or not, is a very important part of the challenge we face to become 100% carbon neutral in the next decade. Technology can certainly help that goal become a reality, but making strides in energy savings is key.
There are now some very common devices that have already made a big impact. Compact florescent (CF) light bulbs are now the only type available at many outlets. With a house running even a minimal number of lamps, each CF bulb that replaces an incandescent bulb represents as much as an 80% reduction in energy usage.
Even more efficient are the white LED bulbs that have very quickly become the light source of choice for flashlights and other battery or solar powered devices. While LED bulbs remain somewhat expensive, their price has come down significantly in recent years and may represent a greater than 90% reduction in energy usage. They also last a lot longer and don’t emit mercury when disposed of.
Energy conservation also applies to the purchasing decisions you make. Items that have a longer journey to your door have more climate change inducing carbon associated with them. The same is true of anything that requires a lot of earth moving, tree cutting or overseas processing to bring to market.
Supporting the local economy goes a long way towards achieving energy independence, as does eating locally raised foods. Simply having a meal at home that you’ve made from things at the farmers’ market is a indulgent way to really enjoy the better quality of life that certain types of energy savings can deliver. Each and every North American is responsible for eating 7 barrels of oil each year and using 6 for personal transport. Combining the two to save energy and climate change inducing greenhouse gases, is not only trendy, but very, very helpful to solving our climate and oil-addiction problems.
Opportunities to enjoy energy savings are all around when you begin to look at your daily routine and habits from the perspective of global climate change. We can enjoy a gentle transition to an oil-free economy, or we can use it all up like addicts – it’s up to each and every person to make that decision. The world is counting on North Americans to get smart sooner rather than later.
