Do You Know Your Carbon Footprint?
The amount of carbon dioxide that each person produces year is mind blowing; just in the USA 15,000 pounds yearly is the average. This includes the carbon dioxide generated as the services or products we buy are made, the fuel use in work and play, the energy volume it takes in the homes. This number can be reduced and even done aways with through having a more carbon neutral lifestyle. Lessening the carbon footprint puts Texas closer to using clean energy resources.
Texans can start reducing their carbon footprint by becoming more energy efficient. This requires individuals to use less energy while maintaining their current life style. This can be done by:
Switch to appliances and light bulbs that use energy at a more efficient rate. These kinds of light bulbs have been known to save more than 100 pounds of the carbon dioxide in just one year.
Lowering how much hot water is being used. People can change to shower heads that are the low flow variety, more energy efficient hot water heaters, and start washing clothes in just cold water. This can lead to lowering the carbon dioxide by more than 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.
Texas, due to the falling fossil fuel reserves, has numerous wells that are no longer in use at all. These wells could be reworked to produce the geothermal type of energy. This is a good method for Texas to use cleaner energy resources.
Waste given off from landfills and agricultural processes can be converted into biomass energy. Numerous vehicles in various of the Texas cities and towns are powered by biodiesel in the fight to reduce the city’s or town’s carbon footprint.
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.
About the author: J. Dyess specializes in the Commercial Energy segment. He has published many articles on Texas Electric prices.
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