Energy Literacy

Energy sources fall into two categories

Renewable Non-Renewable

Renewable• Biomass• Geothermal• Hydro• Solar• Wind

Non-Renewable• Coal• Natural Gas • Petroleum• Uranium

Energy Sources

All have positive and negative attributes related to environmental impacts, abundance, cost, reliability, etc. What are they?

Energy Consumption by Sector

Transportation

Electric Generation

11%

40%

14%

31%

New York State United States

28%

4%

17% 7%

4%

44%

Industrial

Commercial

Residential

Residential

CommercialIndustrial

Transportation

Electric Generation

Energy Consumption by Fuel

Petroleum

Coal

29%

6%

35%

New York State United States

Natural Gas

Nuclear

40%

11%

8%

4%

9%

3%

Other

6%

CoalNatural Gas25%

Petroleum

24%

Hydro

NuclearOther

Hydro

TRUE or FALSE?

“The world’s electricity consumption is predicted to increase by 100% in the next 25 years."

The world’s electricity consumption will increase dramatically due to:

– increased world population

– increased demand in the U.S. and other developed countries

– increased demand from developing countries, such as China

and India

What energy sources are used to generate electricity?

Petroleum

Coal

25%

5%

2%

New York State United States

Natural Gas

Nuclear

Hydro16%

27%

12%

3%

20%

7%

Imports

13%

Coal

Natural Gas

51%

Petroleum

17%

Hydro

Nuclear

Biofuels

Biofuels

2%

NASA Satellite Image

Transportation

NY State US

Petroleum Products

92.16% 96.15%

Biofuels 5.61% 1.57%

Electricity 0.89% 0.09%

Natural Gas 1.35% 2.19%

“The U.S. consumes only 10% of the world’s oil.”

TRUE or FALSE?

The U.S. consumes about 23% of the world’s oil.

Consumption Million Barrels Per Day

World 85.4 million

United States 19.4 million US in 2025 (projected) 26.1 million

New York State 0.8 million

EIA International Petroleum Monthly, May 2009, Patterns and Trends, NYSERDA

Every energy source has advantages and disadvantages.

Do you know what they are?

Let’s test your Energy IQ…

Climate, Climate Change, and Global Warming What are the differences?

• Climate – the condition of the atmosphere at a particular location over a long period of time (from one month to many millions of years, but generally 30 years).

• Climate change - any significant change in measures of climate (temperature, precipitation, or wind) lasting for an extended period (decades or longer).

• Global warming – average increase in temperature of atmosphere near the Earth’s surface and in troposphere, which can contribute to changes in global climate patterns.

Climate is Warming at a Faster Rate Than Expected

“Warming of the climate system is unequivocal, as is now evident from observations of increases in global average air and ocean temperatures, widespread melting of snow and ice, and rising global average sea level.”

(UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2007)

Global Carbon Cycle(Billion Metric Tons Carbon)

Greenhouse Gases - Past 2000 Years

IPCC 2007 Working Group I

Increasing Melt Area on Greenland

Photo: ©2004, ACIA / Map ©Clifford Grabhorn; Graph James Hansen, NASA

What does Global Climate Change mean for New York State?

How hot will summers “feel” in New York?

Summer heat indexSummer heat index

Extreme Heat in Our CitiesNew York City – and Flooding

Extreme Heat in Our CitiesNew York City – and Flooding

Credit: Applied Science Associates, Inc.. Source: Google, Sanborn Map Company, Inc.. NECIA, 2007 (see: www.climatechoices.org/ne/).

Why do we need to act?

It’s a Global Issue

Effects on Our Planet

• Increased fresh water stress.• Extreme drought or rain will affect food

supply.• Erosion and flooding in coastal areas will

result in ‘environmental refugees.’• More intense storms.

What is being done?• Technological advances

resulting in more efficient equipment and processes.

• Modest increase in fuel efficiency standards for vehicles.

• Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS).

• Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI).

What can we do?

• Purchase ENERGY STAR lighting & appliances.

• Weatherize buildings.

• Modify behavior – such as energy conservation and adopting a more sustainable lifestyle.

• Advocate for better fuel efficiency standards for vehicles.

• Plant more trees.

• Increase awareness. Education is key!

“Be the change you want to see in the world.”

Mahatma Ghandi