Electricity: Do You Know Your Carbon Footprint?
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by: Jerry Dyess
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Date: Sat, 21 Nov 2009 Time: 6:42 PM
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The number of pounds of carbon dioxide each individual generates a year is astounding; in the United States the average is 15,000 pounds. This number takes into account the amount carbon dioxide produced when the products and services we use are produced, the fuel we use to travel and the amount of energy we use in our homes. It is however possible to reduce and eliminate this number and live a "carbon neutral" life. Reducing our "carbon footprint" is an important step towards clean Texas energy sources.
Just by being more efficient energy users, Texans are able to help reduce what is considered the carbon footprint. This calls for people decreasing their use of energy, and they can do this and keep their current style of life. A few ideas on how to do this:
Switching to energy efficient appliances and light bulbs. Energy efficient light bulbs can save over 100 pounds of carbon dioxide in a year's time.
Stopping the use of so much hot water. Homeowners can get efficient energy using water heaters, reduced flow type shower heads, and do the laundry with cold water. This can lessen the carbon dioxide amount by about 300 pounds.
Recycling saves about 2,500 pounds of the carbon dioxide. If the type of program is done, then start one.
Planting trees can reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere by about one ton for each tree planted. The trees not only absorb carbon dioxide, they provide wind breaks to keep buildings warm in the winter and shade to keep them cooler in the hotter months.
To move closer to the expectations of Texas using clean energy resources, change over to the more renewable resources of wind and solar. Texas and oil have almost always been thought of together, but that is changing, with the fossil fuels disappearing, and the oil production is basically down 73% from where it was in'72, to search out the newer energy resources. Texas has the cleaner and renewable energy resources that are enough to compensate for the loss of the fossil fuels. The future of the Texas clean energy is in areas of biomass, wind, solar power, and geothermal.
Wind power is considered sustainable and cost effective and is perfect as a clean Texas energy source. Texas has the potential to produce enough energy from wind to be self reliant. Calculations also show an overflow of wind power, this excess can be sold within the region.
The location Texas is in works great for generating solar power. This state has the type of sunny day that are beneficial to capture the power of the sun. Solar energy does need some up front investment, which winds up be well worth it due to the rewards in the end.
With the diminishing fossil oil reserves, Texas will have a substantial number of abandoned wells. These wells can be geared up to produce geothermal energy. This is another way to convert fossil energy dependancy to clean Texas energy usage.
Biomass energy can be produced using the waste from landfill and agricultural use. Biodiesel is already being utilized as a power source for some of the vehicles in a few Texas cities, which has helped the carbon footprint of these cities.
Buying types of green power through city, government, or individual level will encourage the utilization of cleaner Texas energy forms. Texans can help this endeavor through building their own smaller units good for their homes or businesses. For solar and wind power projects the materials can be bought without much expense. Investments can be made by people to the companies the research, sell, and manufacture materials pertinent to cleaner energy.
Article Source :: Simply Articles
About the Author
About the author: Jerry Dyess has been in the Commercial Energy business for the past 7 years. He has published many articles on Business Electric prices.
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