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No need to turn off the
lights, because we can use our energy much more efficiently!
"Our experience shows that making buildings
energy efficient requires more thinking, not more money."
Ronald J. Balon, Senior Energy Engineer, Montgomery County
We need to change the way we produce our energy,
but also the way we use it, both by reducing total energy demand
and by increasing energy efficiency.
There are many examples of how we can drastically
reduce the amount of energy we use to live our lives. For example,
affordable technology is available to build houses with zero
energy needed for heating. Good insulation, large windows towards
the sun and trapping heat generated from household appliances,
in combination with clever air circulation, deliver the same
comfort (i.e. a warm and cosy home) as a conventional house,
but produce zero emissions from heating. It also pays off, for
no heating systems need to be installed and no heating bills
need to be paid.
The list goes on. Energy-saving light bulbs use
less electricity and in the long term save money. Providing
good public transport allows people to drive less, cutting down
emissions and reducing the need to build yet another expensive
road that, as studies show, usually leads to yet more traffic
anyway.
Scientists have calculated that with existing
technology we can cut our greenhouse gas emissions by up to
75%, keeping the comfort and at no additional costs to our economy.
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