by Jessica Helm
The overwhelming emphasis today on new energy is crowding out meaningful national dialogue and progress on achieving greater energy efficiency. Our economy is struggling today at a level of just 13 percent efficiency in terms of energy use, meaning that 87% of the energy we use is wasted. That’s the conclusion of a study by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy.
As Earth-conscious Sierra Club members, we know how to save energy, right? Maybe not. Our understanding of how to save energy turns out to be pretty skewed, according to a study published this summer in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. Surprisingly, people who reported doing the most to reduce energy were as clueless as the rest of the study participants!
What's wrong with overestimating the energy saved in unplugging a coffee pot? The error should make people more likely to unplug it, which is good, but what if the energy-conscious coffee lover underestimates the energy savings in major household appliances and decides to put off buying a new refrigerator?
It is estimated that around 10 percent of U.S. emissions could be eliminated in the next decade with simple changes in household efficiency, but that won't happen unless people take the bigger steps as well as the many smaller ones. That means getting the best information out to decision makers.
Take the quiz to reduce your energy footprint. Check your answers here to see how close you came to the average numbers, and prepare for some surprises!
| Energy consumed by a household | Home Appliances | Packaging |
|---|---|---|
What percent is used in each area? | Given that a 100-watt incandescent light bulb uses 100 units of energy (watts) in one hour, how many units of energy do you think each of the following uses in one hour? | How many BTUs (British thermal units)are used to make single-use drink containers? |
in the home? _____ by transportation? _____ by food production? _____ | CFL as bright as a 100W incandescent _____ desktop computer _____ laptop computer _____ stereo _____ electric clothes dryer _____ room air-conditioner _____ central air conditioner _____ dishwasher _____ | aluminum can (new material) _____ aluminum can (recycled ) _____ glass bottle (new material) _____ glass bottle (recycled ) _____ plastic bottle (new material) _____ plastic bottle (recycled): N/A |
Which action would save more energy? | ||
| Drying clothes on a line (not using the dryer) | OR | Switching from hot water to cold water for the clothes washing machine wash cycle |
| Having one window unit air conditioner in the living room and another in the master bedroom | OR | Using one central air conditioner |
| Turning up the thermostat on your air conditioner by 5°F (making your home warmer) in the summer | OR | Turning down the thermostat on your heater by 5°F (making your home cooler) in the winter |
Moving freight - BTU per ton per mile |
| A ship uses about 400 BTUs to move one ton of freight one mile in distance. How much energy do you think a train, plane, or truck uses to do the same job? Rank 1 - 4, most to least efficient (1 being most efficient) |
Ship ___ Train ___ Airplane ___ Truck ___ |