Ways to Conserve


Why Conserve Energy?
The average Wisconsin household
uses 10,000 kWh of energy per
year—about 1 kWh per hour, every
hour of the year.2 Wisconsin ranks
above the national average in terms
of per capita energy consumption.
About 70% of the energy used in
Wisconsin homes is generated from
coal-fired power plants, which
means that the average household
uses 8,000 pounds of coal each year
and emits 24,000 tons of carbon
dioxide gas (CO2). If you were to take
all the CO2 an average Wisconsin
household emits each year, you
could fill a blimp the size of 20
average homes.
Finite fossil fuels (coal, oil, and
natural gas) are burned to produce
power. Every step, from mining or
drilling to transporting and burning,
causes significant environmental
and health impacts. Land
and wildlife are disrupted and soil,
air, and water are contaminated.

Downsize
Less can be so much more. Consider
living with fewer or smaller electronics
and appliances and simplify your
life. You’ll gain by saving energy,
reducing your utility bills, and
having less to maintain and think
about.
Why Conserve Energy?
The average Wisconsin household
uses 10,000 kWh of energy per
year—about 1 kWh per hour, every
hour of the year.2 Wisconsin ranks
above the national average in terms
of per capita energy consumption.
About 70% of the energy used in
Wisconsin homes is generated from
coal-fired power plants, which
means that the average household
uses 8,000 pounds of coal each year
and emits 24,000 tons of carbon
dioxide gas (CO2). If you were to take
all the CO2 an average Wisconsin
household emits each year, you
could fill a blimp the size of 20
average homes.
Finite fossil fuels (coal, oil, and
natural gas) are burned to produce
power. Every step, from mining or
drilling to transporting and burning,
causes significant environmental
and health impacts. Land
and wildlife are disrupted and soil,
air, and water are contaminated.
to produce energy are the single
the electricity generated by wind
is currently a small percentage overall,
it has increased nearly 600% since 2000.
As of April 2008, Wisconsin utilities
operated 121 large wind turbines at six
sites in the state.



Why should we care?

Jonathan Patz is a public health expert at the University of
Wisconsin-Madison who has looked closely at the health impacts
of climate change all over the world.
Dr. Patz, we have heard about some of the serious health risks
that global warming presents to the developing world. But why
should the "developed" world worry about the health impacts of
climate change?
We certainly learned from the European heat wave that heat waves are
killers, and that we are still vulnerable to those types of direct effects.
The fact that the developing world may be more at risk does not isolate
us. We still live in an international world with a lot of trade and
transport, so an increase in disease anywhere in the world can affect
any country.
There are also unique dangers in the developed world, such as
expanding urban areas, urban sprawl, and the issue of intensifying
urban heat island effect, worsening heat waves, and so on.


What Can You Do?
Conserving energy in your home can
save you money, make your home more
comfortable, and benefit the environment.
You can put energy cost savings
toward future energy efficiency improvements
for your home, such as attic
insulation, insulated window shades, on demand
water heaters, or solar panels.
Cost-reducing incentives are available
through Wisconsin’s Focus on Energy
program, utility companies, and federal
tax credits.7 With natural gas rates in
Wisconsin increasing over 200% since
mid-1999, investing in energy efficiency
and alternatives makes financial and
environmental sense.8 Go for it. Try out
the action steps on the following pages
to increase your energy efficiency.

the electricity generated by wind
is currently a small percentage overall,
it has increased nearly 600% since 2000.
As of April 2008, Wisconsin utilities
operated 121 large wind turbines at six
sites in the state.



There is a clear need to better understand the interdependent relationships between people and the
biophysical world. Social science research is essential for such efforts but is not yet widely viewed
as relevant to ecological research.

The social sciences have contributed much to an understanding of human interdependence with the
environment, but in many ways it seems that we have not done well enough. An ecological paradigm
has not only not pervaded American society but a powerful environmental skepticism has (Dunlap,
2008).

Here is an excerpt that I found fascinating.



Nature cannot be fooled.

Richard Feynman

Let’s talk about energy consumption and energy production. At the moment,
most of the energy the developed world consumes is produced from
fossil fuels; that’s not sustainable. Exactly how long we could keep living
on fossil fuels is an interesting question, but it’s not the question we’ll
address in this book. I want to think about living without fossil fuels.
We’re going to make two stacks. In the left-hand, red stack we will add consumption production


up our energy consumption, and in the right-hand, green stack, we’ll add
up sustainable energy production. We’ll assemble the two stacks gradually,
adding items one at a time as we discuss them.


The question addressed in this book is “can we conceivably live sustainably?”
So, we will add up all conceivable sustainable energy sources and
put them in the right-hand, green stack.


In the left-hand, red stack, we’ll estimate the consumption of a “typical
moderately-affluent person;” I encourage you to tot up an estimate
of your own consumption, creating your own personalized left-hand stack
too. Later on we’ll also find out the current average energy consumption of
Europeans and Americans.

• Invest in Renewable Power
Generate 25 percent of electricity from clean, renewable sources, through policies and programs
that prioritize local production, workforce development, and good jobs.

• Drive Toward Energy Independence
Reduce oil consumption 25 percent by 2025 by promoting efficient technologies and clean,
renewable fuel alternatives, through policies and programs that prioritize local production and good
jobs.



Here is another great excerpt of actions we may take.



Green Roadmap for the Project Development Process
PASS
1. Early Planning
• Set goals, guides and plans
• Align budget with funding/incentives
• Identify Green Champion
• Select team
2. Design
Maximize green performance by:
• Brainstorming strategies to meet goals
• Assess goals vs. construction/operating costs/benefits
• Employ all team members to optimize design vs. budget
• No compromise on components/performance outcomes
3. Construction Management
Align trades with green intent/execution of project by:
• Communication between Team/Contractor/Program Contact
• Goal and design education
• Review of contracts and bids
• Quality control review/inspection/verification/sign off
4. Verify/Certify
Affirm that green value is delivered by:
• Meeting established goals
• Obtaining 3rd party validation /certification
5. Operations / Maintenance
Assure project longevity by defining green responsibilities of
owner/manager for operating and maintaining property:
• Providing documentation training on green technologies
• Creating owner/resident awareness around green living principles
• Conduct timely performance review
6. Reflect
Improve efficiencies/reduce costs/increase green attributes by:
• Capturing/analyzing data
• Assessing lessons learned
• Introducing design/process modifications for future projects
• Sharing results

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