Basic 5: Numero Dos: Energy and Fuel

TAI BLOG #11: BASIC 5, NUMERO DOS: ENERGY and FUEL

In the last episode of this ‘As of Yet Unnamed Blog’ (competition to commence soon), we began the ‘what can I do’ BIG BASIC 5 discussion, listing the below concepts as typing points of awareness:

1. Waste and Conservation

2. Fuel and Energy

3. Water

4. Go Local

5. HEALTH of SELF

For an episodic reminder, give a quick scan to the last blog, which focused on ideas concerning waste and conservation in your every day life (as opposed to that every other day life you sometimes somehow inhabit).

But today, oh seekers of information, awareness, and better living strategies, today we shall run the gamut of fuel and energy. Where does it all come from, does it matter, do I care, and can it be created or destroyed? I’ll attempt to answer most of these questions ;)

Energy is a necessity of life. On an elemental level, our bodies need it. On a grander level, it runs our world. Our cars, our phones, our lights; our refrigerators, our ovens and stoves, our home heating and cooling systems; our computers, our construction, our businesses, our military, our food supply, our communication systems, our government … take that last one as you will.

So how much do we, as individuals, know about this element that is so necessary to our lives? Well, Wikipedia I’m sure has pages, but many of us plug in that cell phone charger without actually knowing from whence that juice is flowing!

Let’s break it down! Anyone that just conjured up a break dance move…is my new hero. Energy can be ‘broken down’ into two categories: renewable and non-renewable. Renewable sources include solar power, wind power, hydroelectric power, ways of generating energy that can be done again and again. I know this is a big fat ‘DUH’ for many of you out there, but this distinction is important!

Non-renewable energy sources are basically fossil fuels, which include coal, petroleum, and natural gas. Fossil fuels are basically ancient previously living entities that have been compressed for a gazillion years and have formed energy sources…just like the name says! These sources of energy are the ones that release greenhouse gases with use, namely CO2. Booooo, hissssss! 

Nuclear energy is also a non-renewable energy source, however it DOES NOT create greenhouse gases…but can potentially make the whole world glow colors that we could undoubtedly appreciate with our seven eyes.

So the reality of the situation is that when we consider the whole shebang: transportation, industry, electricity, heating, etc., we as the USA get 38% of our total energy from petroleum, 25% of our energy from natural gas, 21% of our energy from coal, 9% of our energy from nuclear, and the other 8% from renewable resources (solar, wind, hydroelectric, biomass, and geothermal).

TOTAL ENERGY!!!                         SOURCES OF ELECTRICITY!!!                       

Petroleum                        37.33%                         Coal                          44.4%

Natural Gas                     24.73%                         Natural Gas                  23.3%

Coal                                20.92%                         Nuclear                               20.2%

Nuclear                           8.84%                           Hydroelectric                       6.9%

Biomass                         4.10%                            Renewable                           3.6%

Hydroelectric                  2.83%                           Petroleum                            1.0%

Wind, Geothermal,          1.25%

            and Solar

*These numbers taken from a 2009 survey from the Energy Information Administration

These two lists tell us a lot! Americans use more petroleum than any other power source, pointing (with a harsh finger I might add) at our obsession and total reliance on the automobile.

Also, because fossil fuels make up our top three (technically four) sources of energy, we are creating greenhouse gases up the wazzoooo! Additionally, our electricity in this country is primarily generated from coal. When you plug that computer/cell phone/toaster oven into the nearest outlet, just remember that somewhere a little piece of coal just let off a touch of CO2 for you.

ON TO THE POSITIVE UPBEAT PORTION!

Ok, so now that we are AWARE (because remember, it’s all about awareness right?), let’s talk about what we can do! Hurrah!

First and foremost, one word: CONSERVE!

Before we get into the nitty-gritty, let’s be upfront. We (Americans) use too much. We require more energy per person than any other nation. We are surrounded by information that tells us where our energy is coming from (Middle East and destructive mining techniques), what effect it’s having on our environment (very bad) and on our national security/political system (also very bad). And yet, we need need need and use use use use and shun change change change!

I think that energy is America’s drug addiction. We know that using it is bad and hurts those around us; we know that it’s expensive and draining our wallets; we know that there are other options out there, but yet we just keep using!

So the first step in recovery: CUT BACK!

I’m not suggesting that anyone out there go cold turkey…a little won’t kill ya…I mean the world ;)

There are heaps of ways we can all cut down on the amount of energy we’re using. Let’s take it one fossil fuel at a time. 

Petroleum! Because petroleum is used primarily for vehicles of transportation, we need to figure out how we can make the biggest cuts in or alterations to our transportation needs.

Here’s a short list of ideas to decrease your personal transportation energy consumption:

*Ride your bike or walk to work/school/the store                        *Take public transit

*Park your car once a week                                                            *Carpool

*Map out your errands to decrease distance                                 *Shop locally

If you want to get fancy with your petrol-awareness, take it to the next level! Decrease your own energy consumption AND that of your goods and services. Don’t buy things that have to be shipped across the country (or the world); get your haircut and your teeth cleaned somewhere near enough you can walk there; buy your food from local farmers’ markets or nearby producers when you can! This last bit has a huge impact as most of our supermarket food is SHIPPED (requiring gasoline) across the country OR across the oceans, relating greenhouse gas emissions to seemingly healthy foods! How nutty!

And when you DO need to fill that tank, purchase your car’s liquid lunch from a gas station that uses oil drilled FROM the US, not oil SHIPPED to a station near you. Because the US only has 2.4% of the world’s ‘proven’ oil reserves, we import 9 million barrels of crude oil each day (choke, gag, sputter)! But here’s the kicker, we actually export 50% MORE refined petroleum than we import.

Below is a slightly unreliable list (snagged it off the web) of gas stations that sell primarily US gasoline.

*Sunoco                        *Conoco                        *Sinclair                        *Valero

*Murphys                        *Hess                           *ARCO                        *BP/Phillips

*That said, BP is a terrible company who continues to contribute to oil spill problems in the Gulf without appropriate clean up. So don’t buy from them either.

Natural Gas! Natural gases are #2 on our list of most used resources, clocking in at nearly 25%.  The majority of natural gas is used in the industrial sector: processing pulp and paper, metals, chemicals, petroleum, plastics, and food. Natural gas also provides the base ingredients for products like plastic, fertilizer, anti-freeze, and fabric.

Aside from buying LESS of these products, there’s not much each individual can do to decrease industrial use. But get ready, 45% of the country’s total natural gas use can be attributed to a combination of electricity and household use. Because we will address electricity more specifically in our Crazy Coal section below, let’s talk about household use!

We use natural gases primarily for heating and cooking in the US. While I could recommend you eat a raw food diet to decrease the gas used in cooking (and likely improve your gut’s daily workout), it seems more practical and effectual to focus on the heating element!

First and foremost, lack of insulation in the home costs Americans hundreds (and sometimes thousands) of extra dollars per person each year. It’s been estimated that most Americans could save 30% on their heating bills if they insulated their homes! So, in order to cut back on your natural gas consumption, here’s a few insulating tips:

*Increase attic insulation                        *Use weatherstripping around windows/doors

*Insulate your basement                        *Use expansion foam for small spaces

*Use window curtains and blinds            *more info at: ezinearticles.com

Additionally, instead of turning up the heat, insulate your body better! I’m not saying you should put on extra pounds for the winter (that is, not fleshy ones), but don’t be bashful about wearing your coat in the house, an extra pair of socks, and a hat! Just think, if insulating your home includes its top, bottom and sides, why should insulating yourself be much different?

In considering the ‘cost’ of these energy products, we must also keep in mind just how they are being extracted from the earth and tag that onto our dollar sign. Natural gas is more and more commonly being sucked from the layers of our earth by a nasty (there’s my subjective voice coming through) process called FRACKING. This method pollutes ground water and air, creating pretty fracking bad health consequences for nearby residents. For more info on fracking, google it OR watch the movie GasLand.

Next up on the chopping…I mean cutting back…block: COAL! This black substance of necessity provides us with half of all our electricity, making it the largest source of power in this country and many others. Let’s take just one moment, one sentence, to address the negative environmental effects of using coal for electricity, so that we may more appropriately link them to our use of electricity. Deep breath…

After we’ve polluted land, water, and air to mine coal, it is shipped (bad word alert) to factories and burned to create electricity, also making smog, soot, acid rain, and global warming, with byproducts including ash, sludge and toxic chemicals…not to mention the billions of gallons of fresh water wasted on cooling. And breathe…

Did I warn you that I love commas and run on sentences? New perspective: instead of thinking about decreasing your electricity consumption, think about decreasing your ‘all of the above bad things with coal’ consumption!

Here’s a few simple ones that bring me back to 80’s public service announcements:

*Turn off lights when you’re not in the room                        *Unplug appliances not in use

*Change light bulbs to energy efficient ones                         *Hang your clothes to dry

*Unplug your computer/phone once it’s charged                  *Take short showers

*Check out this awesome LIST OF TIPS!

Another way to decrease how much power you need is to give a little booster to your already in play appliances. For example, you can build a passive solar water heater (click here for more details) out of reused materials. This will preheat your water before it enters you gas/electric powered water heater, decreasing the amount of power needed to generate a hot shower!

As we can so easily see, none of this is rocket science; but it is creative and changed thinking patterns! Get yo’self outta plaid and into some paisley!

This wee short little blog has addressed awareness and conservation most specifically, but keep in mind that, as we’ve seen, not all energies are created equal. Using renewable resources (like solar and wind) are becoming more and more accessible, not to mention guilt free!

I have been using solar for the majority of my power needs over the past year (I feel suddenly like this is a confession) and I love it! The knowledge that my laptop and phone are running off a renewable energy source (AKA the SUN) is very freeing. Whether it’s a tiny solar phone charger, a solar array on your rooftop, or a wind generator in your backyard…it makes a big difference!

And it’s guilt free. If only they could start making ice cream out of renewable energy resources…for reduced guilt of course ;)

*If you’d like to consult any of the resources I used in this blog that are not linked, shoot me an email and I’d be glad to send them to you.