Why Conservation Is the World’s Best Energy Source
By Alexander Jung
Warnings of a coming climate catastrophe caused by greenhouse gas emissions are growing louder. But the pressure for economic growth around the globe is pushing gas and oil prices higher. The solution seems deceptively simple: conserve energy by using it more efficiently. So why aren’t more people doing exactly that?
A satellite image of Europe at night: Residents of Western Europe’s industrial nations waste enormous amunts of electricity, petrol, heating oil and gas. Without any noticeable decrease in quality of life, consumers could reduce their energy consumption by one-fifth.
AP/ NASAA satellite image of Europe at night: Residents of Western Europe’s industrial nations waste enormous amunts of electricity, petrol, heating oil and gas. Without any noticeable decrease in quality of life, consumers could reduce their energy consumption by one-fifth.
Peter Lentz always starts his hunt for wastefulness in the cellar. That’s where the energy expert hits pay dirt on this particular morning too: He feels it as soon as he walks into the boiler room. It’s too warm down here.The thermometer shows 29 degrees Celsius (84.2 degrees Fahrenheit). The apartment building has two boilers supplying its heat. Both are running even though it’s above freezing outside. “One would be more than enough,” says Lentz. But what really stuns the energy specialist is the fact that each unit has a water capacity of 2,500 liters (660.4 gallons), which he considers “absolute nonsense.”