who wants to be an energy geek?

Who wants to be Who wants to be an energy geek?an energy geek?

What is What is energy?energy?

The ability to do workThe ability to do work

Where does energy come Where does energy come from?from?

All energy comes from All energy comes from the sun (well, mostly the sun (well, mostly all…)all…)

Some energy flows Some energy flows constantly…constantly…

……Like solar power, wind power Like solar power, wind power and hydroelectric power.and hydroelectric power.

Some energy is stored…Some energy is stored…

……Like coal, oil and Like coal, oil and natural gas.natural gas.

In order for energy to be In order for energy to be useful…useful…

……It has to be It has to be transformed.transformed.

And every time energy is And every time energy is transformed, we waste transformed, we waste some.some.

To understand this, let’s To understand this, let’s trace energy use through a trace energy use through a system.system.

Consider the Consider the banana.banana.

Bananas are nutritious Bananas are nutritious and tasty, but…and tasty, but…

Where do they come Where do they come from?from?

What kind of energy What kind of energy is used to get the is used to get the banana from the banana from the grower into our grower into our kitchens?kitchens?

How many different kinds of energy How many different kinds of energy were used to get the banana from fields were used to get the banana from fields in Costa Rica to our kitchens in in Costa Rica to our kitchens in Wisconsin?Wisconsin?

Many!Many!

Solar – to grow the Solar – to grow the bananasbananas

Human labor – to Human labor – to tend and harvest the tend and harvest the bananasbananas

Petroleum – to Petroleum – to transport the transport the bananasbananas

Electricity – to cool Electricity – to cool the bananasthe bananas

Now let’s think about Now let’s think about electricity.electricity.

Where does most of Where does most of Wisconsin’s electricity come Wisconsin’s electricity come from?from?

Wind?Wind? Hydroelectric power?Hydroelectric power? Nuclear power?Nuclear power? Coal?Coal?

Where does most of Where does most of Wisconsin’s coal come Wisconsin’s coal come from?from?

Wisconsin?Wisconsin? Illinois?Illinois? Wyoming?Wyoming? West Virginia?West Virginia?

How does it get from How does it get from Wyoming to Wisconsin?Wyoming to Wisconsin?

Truck?Truck? Airplane?Airplane? Fax?Fax? Train?Train?

How much energy does it How much energy does it take to get the coal from take to get the coal from Wyoming to your house?Wyoming to your house?

We have to mine the coal…We have to mine the coal…

Transport the coal…Transport the coal…

Burn the coal…Burn the coal…

And transmit And transmit the electricity.the electricity.

You figure it You figure it out!out!

To mine one ton of coal…To mine one ton of coal…

It takes the energy of It takes the energy of about ten pounds of about ten pounds of coal.coal.

So we have about So we have about 1,990 pounds left1,990 pounds left

To transport one ton of To transport one ton of coal…coal…

It takes the energy of It takes the energy of about 40 pounds of about 40 pounds of coal.coal.

So we have about So we have about 1,950 pounds left1,950 pounds left

To burn one ton of coal to To burn one ton of coal to make electricity …make electricity …

It takes the energy of It takes the energy of about 1,350 pounds about 1,350 pounds of coal.of coal.

So we have about So we have about 600 pounds of coal 600 pounds of coal left.left.

To transmit the To transmit the electricity to your electricity to your house…house…

It takes the energy of It takes the energy of about 160 pounds of about 160 pounds of coal.coal.

So in the end…So in the end…

Only about 440 Only about 440 pounds of coal make pounds of coal make it into useful energy!it into useful energy!

So what happened to the So what happened to the rest?rest?

Pollution!Pollution!

Air pollutionAir pollution Water pollutionWater pollution Solid wasteSolid waste

So how should we use So how should we use electricity?electricity?

Carefully!Carefully! Use efficient Use efficient

appliancesappliances Turn things offTurn things off Design efficient Design efficient

buildingsbuildings

Well, what can I do?Well, what can I do?

It’s true – parents make It’s true – parents make most of the decisions most of the decisions about energy about energy consumptionconsumption Educate them!Educate them! Changing from Changing from

incandescent to compact incandescent to compact fluorescent light bulbs is fluorescent light bulbs is one of the simplest things one of the simplest things you can do to save you can do to save energy.energy.