EarthTeam’s Annual Energy Saving Poster Contest for Teens

PRODUCED BY EARTHTEAM IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE MILLION KILOWATT HOUR CHALLENGE

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Energy production and use account for nearly 80% of air pollution, more than 88% of greenhouse gas emissions, and more environmental damage than any other human activity.
…the nation's energy needs are expected to grow by 33% during the next 20 years. Renewable energy can help fill the gap.

WHAT IS ENERGY?
Energy is the capacity for doing work and overcoming resistance.
Energy may exist in various forms; after it has been transferred from one body to another it is referred to according to its nature, (e.g., heat becomes thermal energy, sun becomes solar energy, etc.)

HOW WE USE ENERGY
There are two types of energy sources, renewable and non-renewable. Renewable energy sources, not including hydroelectric power, account for just 1% of the world's supply; fossil fuels provide about 85%.12 Similarly, approximately 85% of the energy consumed in the U.S. in 1999 came from coal, oil, and natural gas. Renewable energy resources (hydroelectric, fuels from biomass, geothermal, wind, and solar) supplied about 7.5% in the U.S., and 8% in the form of electricity came from nuclear power plants.

Our environmental well-being—from improving urban air quality to abating the risk of global warming—requires a mix of energy sources that emits less carbon dioxide and other pollutants than today’s mix. Our national security requires secure supplies of oil or alternatives to it. . . . And for reasons of economy, environment, security, and stature as a world power alike, the United States must maintain its leadership in the science and technology of energy supply and use.
—"Challenges and Opportunities for the 21st Century," U.S. Department of Energy.

U.S. Energy Consumption and Electricity Generation, 1999 14

Renewable Energy Sources
These energy sources are "unlimited" in supply because they can be replenished by nature.

In 2001, about 6% of total U.S. energy demand was met by renewable sources, with the largest amounts used for electricity generation. Hydropower made up around 39% of U.S. renewable consumption in 2001, with biofuels (including wood and waste), solar, wind, and geothermal making up most of the remainder.7 There is a huge potential renewable energy resource—250 times total annual U.S. energy consumption.

Renewable Energy Sources Include:

• Biomass Energy (Energy from plants and organic matter)
  These materials can be burned directly, converted into gases or oils to be burned, fermented, or decayed by bacteria. The energy in this organic matter is used to create electricity, heat, and transportation fuels.
  Advantages: Abundant; renewable; can eliminate waste products and reduce need for landfills.
  Disadvantages: Potential significant air pollution (burning); may be costly.
  Facts: Biomass is America’s second largest resource of renewable energy. Agricultural crops can be used to make such liquid fuels as methanol and ethanol; "E85" is a mixture of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline.10 In 1989, biomass (mostly from burning wood and manure to heat and cook) supplied about 15% of the world's energy and about 50% of the energy used in Less Developed Countries.
• Geothermal Energy (Energy from heat in the Earth core) This heat is visible in such forms as hot springs, steam, boiling mud and volcanic gases.
  Advantages: Unlimited supply; no air or water pollution.
  Disadvantages: Start up and maintenance costs potentially high.
  Facts: The geothermal energy potential in the uppermost 6 miles of the Earth's crust amounts to the energy of all oil and gas resources in the world.10 Geothermal energy was the third largest source of renewable energy in the U.S. in 1999; 14 in 1996, Iceland and U.S. were the world’s biggest users of geothermal energy; California produced 6% of its electrical energy from geothermal sources.1
• Hydropower (Water Energy)
  The force of moving water is used to turn turbines, which generate electricity. Two lesser known forms of hydropower specific to oceans are: Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion, which harnesses temperature differences between surface and deep waters; Tidal Power, which uses the enormous power of ocean tides. These two forms of ocean hydropower are still "experimental," but are used in some countries.16
  Advantages: Abundant; clean; safe; free; non-polluting; easy reservoir storage; relatively inexpensive to produce electricity; recreational benefits.
  Disadvantages: Power plants are expensive to build; potential significant environmental impact (dams can affect water quality and wildlife habitats); reliability depends on plentiful water supply.
  Facts: Hydropower is our oldest and largest source of renewable power, producing about 10% of U.S. electricity.10 In 1989, hydropower supplied 20% of the world's electricity and 3% of the world's total commercial energy.1
• Sun (Solar Energy)
  The sun’s energy is used for heat, light, and power.
  Advantages: Unlimited supply; "clean"-- no resulting air or water pollution.
  Disadvantages: Not yet as cost-effective as fossil fuels, expensive to build systems; storage and backup are necessary and not as simple as hydropower reservoir storage; reliability depends on availability of significant and consistent sunlight; current utility interconnection structure makes distributed generation difficult.
  Facts: "I'd put my money on the sun and solar energy… What a source of power!"-- Thomas A. Edison. In January 2000…NREL released a report that said that the domestic photovoltaic (PV) industry could provide up to 15% of "new U.S. peak electricity capacity expected to be required in 2020."7 The world's largest solar energy power plant in Southern California’s Mojave Desert can meet the energy needs of more than 350,000 people.10 New approaches include: "Solar Thermal," which uses many mirrored troughs to focus the sun’s heat on oil-filled tubes which drive steam turbines; "Power Tower," which uses moveable mirrors to beam sunlight to a central tower, powering steam turbines; the "Stirling Engine" method, which is a piston engine driven by heat from the sun; "Dish System," in which mirrors focus the sun’s heat onto a receiver to run a Stirling engine.15
• Wind (Kinetic Energy)
  Energy from the movement of air.
  Advantages: Abundant; free; no resulting air or water pollution; multiple land use; more expensive than fossil fuels but rapidly becoming more cost effective.
  Disadvantages: Reliability dependent on constant and significant supply of wind; requires significant amounts of land; potential negative visual impact; more expensive than fossil fuels but rapidly becoming more cost effective.
  Facts: Wind energy has been the fastest growing source of energy in the world since 1990, increasing at an average rate of over 25% per year.10 In 2001, wind-electric generation worldwide increased by 31%; in the United States it jumped by a staggering 66%; three of the wind-rich states—North Dakota, Kansas, and Texas—have enough harnessable wind energy to satisfy all the nation’s electricity needs.15 The American Wind Energy Association estimates that new wind farms in 2002 will eliminate emissions of 7.5 million tons of carbon dioxide from fossil-fuel power plants.15 Wind power experts project that wind energy could provide over 5% of the nation’s electricity by 202015, and that by the middle of the 21st Century wind power could supply 10% of the world's electricity.

Non-Renewable Energy Sources
The remains of plants and animals that lived during prehistoric times are referred to as fossil fuels. These energy sources are limited. They are found only in certain places in the world, are always underground, and cannot be replaced, reused or re-created.

Overall, the U.S. relies on oil for about 39% of its total primary energy requirements, natural gas for about 23%, and coal for 23%; this means 85% of the energy consumed in the U.S. comes from non-renewable sources.7 According to the Edison Electric Institute, proven oil reserves will last for 37 years or so; natural gas, 61 years; coal, 211 years. These numbers suggest that fossil fuels are cheap and plentiful.

Because these energy sources cannot be replaced, it is important that levels do not diminish and that Earth’s fossil fuels are preserved. Stewardship and conservation on your part are essential to this effort.

Non-Renewable Energy Sources Include:

• Coal
  Coal is used for heating and to provide energy to power plants and manufacturers.
  Advantages: Currently abundant; established infrastructure and delivery system; price has stayed relatively low over time.
  Disadvantages: Limited supply; sometimes hard to find/access; very polluting; burning leads to build up of CO2, which impacts global warming.
  Facts: The U.S. ranks 1st worldwide in coal reserves. 90% of the coal consumed in the U.S. is used for electricity generation7; in 1999 coal produced nearly 52% of all U.S. electricity.
• Natural
  Gas Natural gas is used to cook food, heat houses, and to power some vehicles and machinery. It is considered the fuel of choice in much of the world.
  Advantages: Currently abundant; relatively inexpensive; established infrastructure and delivery system.
  Disadvantages: Limited supply; sometimes hard to find/access; cleaner than oil and coal but still polluting; burning leads to build up of CO2, which impacts global warming.
  Facts: In 1999, about 15% of U.S. electricity generation came from natural gas.14
  Projections show demand for natural gas will increase at an average annual rate of 2% between 2000 and 2020, a faster projected annual growth rate
  than for electricity (1.8%), petroleum (1.5%), or renewable fuels (1.7%).
• Oil (Petroleum and Shale oil)
  Oil is used in plastics, clothes, fertilizer, gasoline... everything from Frisbees and snow skis to space shuttles and their fuel… from running shoes and bathing suits to CDs and telephones.
  Advantages: Currently abundant; versatility; price stayed relatively low over time.
  Disadvantages: Limited supply; sometimes hard to find/access; polluting; burning leads to build up of CO2, which impacts global warming; major economic and national security implications.
  Facts: In 2001, imported oil was responsible for meeting approximately 59% of total oil U.S. demand.7 This compares with 34% in 1973.10 The U.S., the world's second largest oil extractor, has only 4% of the world's oil reserves but uses nearly 30% of all oil extracted each year. In 1996, the burning of petroleum fuels emitted about 30% of the carbon dioxide added to the atmosphere annually.
• Nuclear (Nuclear Energy)
  Power generated from the radioactive decay of uranium.
  Advantages: Highly cost effective once established; not air polluting.
  Disadvantages: Expensive to build plants; radioactive waste is highly toxic and has very long half-life; disposal presents major problems including security, storage, proliferation and insurance issues.
  Facts: In 2001, nuclear plants supplied about 20% of total U.S. electrical generation, second only to coal in the U.S. electricity generation mix.7 … because of safety concerns and waste disposal problems, the United States will retire much of its nuclear capacity by 2020.

TIPS FOR CONSERVING ENERGY

Appliances

Heating/Cooling

Lighting and Electronics

Transportation

Water

Other

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a simple step.
                                         -- Confucius

REFERENCES AND CITATIONS:

LEARN MORE ABOUT ENERGY CONSERVATION AND CHANGE

For more information, check these web resources and the references cited above:

• California Department of Conservation www.consrv.ca.gov
• California Environmental Resources Evaluation System www.ceres.ca.gov
• California Energy Commission www.energy.ca.gov
• California Energy Commission Consumer Energy Center www.consumerenergycenter.org
• California Regional Environmental Education Community www.creec.org
• Edison International Kids Power Lab www.edisonkids.com
• EE Link/Environmental Education Resources on the Web www.eelink.net
• Energy Information Administration, U.S. Dept. of Energy www.eia.doe.gov
• Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory 20% Solution To Saving Power www.savepower.lbl.gov
• National Environmental Directory www.environmentaldirectory.net
• Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, U.S. Dept. of Energy www.eren.doe.gov/
• U.S. Department of Energy www.energy.gov
• U.S. EPA www.epa.gov

Produced By EarthTeam for the Million Kilowatt Hour Challenge, October 2002.