How does my consumption of energy affect the earth?

How does my consumption of energy affect the earth?

In general, the environmental effects can include: Emissions of greenhouse gases and other air pollutants, especially when a fuel is burned. Use of water resources to produce steam, provide cooling, and serve other functions. Land use for fuel production, power generation, and transmission and distribution lines.

How does human energy affect the environment?

The environmental problems directly related to energy production and consumption include air pollution, climate change, water pollution, thermal pollution, and solid waste disposal. The emission of air pollutants from fossil fuel combustion is the major cause of urban air pollution.

How does our consumption affect the environment?

Consumption leads to the direct creation of environmental pressures from the use of products and services, for example, through driving a car or heating a house with fossil fuels. Tourism is a fourth area causing high and growing environmental impacts, both within the EU and elsewhere.

How does reducing energy consumption help the environment?

Reducing your energy usage reduces the demand for fossil fuels and, in turn, lower the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Climate change results in heat waves, drought, higher sea level, abnormal weather patterns and a greater likelihood of natural disasters.

What is human energy consumption?

The basic energy consumption of the human body is 4 kJ/kilogram of body weight and daily hour so to calculate an individuals basic energy consumption: Total Energy Consumption = Body weight (Kg) × 4 KJ × 24 hours/day / 4.18 kJ. (1)

How does mass consumption affect our world?

As well as obvious social and economic problems, consumerism is destroying our environment. As the demand for goods increases, the need to produce these goods also increases. This leads to more pollutant emissions, increased land-use and deforestation, and accelerated climate change [4].

What are potential effects of our consumption practices?

Misuse of land and resources. Exporting Pollution and Waste from Rich Countries to Poor Countries. Obesity due to Excessive Consumption. A cycle of waste, disparities and poverty.

How does wasting energy affect the environment?

Fossil fuel, biomass, and waste burning power plants. Nearly all combustion byproducts have negative effects on the environment and human health: CO2 is a greenhouse gas, which contributes to the greenhouse effect. SO2 causes acid rain, which is harmful to plants and to animals that live in water.

Why is global energy consumption considered as the main culprit for global warming?

Global warming is caused primarily from putting too much carbon into the atmosphere when coal, gas, and oil are burned to generate electricity or to run our cars. These gases spread around the planet like a blanket, keeping in solar heat that would otherwise be radiated out into space.

How does the use of energy affect the environment?

How does energy use impact the environment? All forms of electricity generation have an environmental impact on our air, water and land, but it varies. Of the total energy consumed in the United States, about 40% is used to generate electricity, making electricity use an important part of each person’s environmental footprint.

What are the effects of overuse of energy?

What Are the Effects of Overusing Energy? Increased Carbon Footprint. The primary environmental effect of energy overuse is an increase in your carbon footprint,… Increased Risk of Climate Change. Coal and natural gas supplied more than two-thirds of the energy in the U.S. in 2011. Reduction in

Where can I find information on the environmental impact of electricity?

For more in-depth information, visit the Emissions & Generation Resource Integrated Database (eGRID), a comprehensive source of data on the environmental characteristics of almost all electric power generated in the United States. How can I reduce my impact? There are many ways to reduce the environmental impacts of your energy use.

What are the environmental impacts of power companies?

Varying Impacts. Power companies use a variety of processes to create electricity, and not all processes affect the environment in the same way. For example, coal is a much more environmentally problematic source of energy than solar power, which has minimal environmental effects.