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The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines energy as "the ability to do work." Energy is what we use to regulate temperatures, drive cars, play our music, and light-up our computer screens and roads.
Energy conservation refers generally to practices – the things you can do to reduce the amount of energy you use – simple actions like turning off lights, computers and TVs when you're not using them can conserve energy.
Why is energy conservation important?
Most of the power used for the residential, commerical, industrial and transportation aspects of society are from unrenewable sources like oil, gas and coal. These resources are limited and cannot be replenished. Furthermore, burning fossil fuels pollutes the air with carbon dioxide --the compound most responsible for global warming. To find out more, read our information on the importance of energy conservation.
Energy efficiency refers generally to choosing machines and
devices that use less energy than their traditional counterparts –
using compact flourescent light bulbs instead of incandescent bulbs,
for example, or buying Energy Star appliances or driving a
fuel-efficient car.
Whys is energy efficiency important?
Using energy efficient machines can conserve energy by using less energy than other products to create the same output, thus reducing the emissions of harmful pollutants. This also conserves energy. For ideas on how to use energy efficiently,
These are the easiest, fastest, least expensive ways to reduce our carbon emissions and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. And they usually save money.
For information on how you can implement energy conservation and efficiency into your own home, explore the links to the right.
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