Imagine yourself on an island. But this is no "ordinary island". This island is a paradise. Majestic houses stand tall, surrounded by lush green nature and pristine beaches. As you step onto the island, you see the place filled with gold, platinum, and diamonds. Anything and everything you can possibly think of. This island has so much wealth that if you sell it, you will be richer than the top one hundred billionaires combined. Such wealth is locked up on this island.
Imagine the island owner says to you: "All this can be yours, but there is a catch... Soon you will lose access to Energy. All and Every form of Energy!"
Now pause for a moment and think. Would you take up this offer?
…
Dear reader! If you chose yes, that means no electricity, no fuel, and not even the warmth of the sun to nurture the land. It is relatively easy to imagine places on Earth that receive very sparse sunlight. Just think of Greenland and the polar regions.
Pause again to envision your life in this energy-deprived paradise. You can't use your phone, there's no electricity, you can't drive your car to move around the island, you have no oil, and you can't even eat because without the sun (the major source of Earth’s energy), crops cannot grow, and food becomes a scarce commodity.
Once a haven for luxury and wealth, the island becomes a desolate landscape. The grand houses stand as empty shells, the lush nature withers away, and the treasures lose their value. I'd imagine none of you reading this would ever want to live on this island, even though it is filled with all the so-called valuable minerals. I use the word "so-called" because all the wealth, all the sophistication, and all the luxuries are meaningless without the fundamental force of energy.
My name is Rishikesh, and I am a master’s student studying sustainable energy. Today, I will be taking you on the journey of energy - how are we surrounded by it, why is it the fundamental resource, and how has our obsession with energy caused climate change? But most importantly, I’ll be sharing with you what “you” as an individual, can do to reduce its effects.
Background
The Ecologist, Howard T. Odum says:
"Energy is the only universal currency; it is necessary for getting anything done."
The most fundamental thing in the universe is Energy. We are so used to being surrounded by energy that it is "unimaginable" in the modern world, to feel its absence. Imagine one day you wake up and find your home doesn't have electricity. Let's say you only have a cycle and an electric generator. How would your life be?
If you like cardio, you can hop on the cycle and pedal rigorously. After about 1 hour, you would be sweating, tired and exhausted. The number of calories you just burnt would be 600KJ. That's huge, right? Well, it's 175 Watts*.
The toaster you used this morning consumes around 1000 watts, the coffee machine 1500, and your oven up to 5000 watts*!!
You realize you would need between 10 and 30 people cycling for you, to even operate the oven.
These people must be pedalling nonstop in a room just to keep your lights on. Mind you, this is for a single person! It can truly be said, we are already living like kings and queens, sometimes even better! We just don't realize it.
This luxury would truly make any king in the past jealous of the quality of life we now take for granted. Be it air-conditioned houses, home-delivered food, or instant communication with even inter-continental flights. Humanity has come a long way. But there is one thing common between all these sophistications: they all require energy, Massive amounts of energy. It’s no surprise we humans have become even hungrier for more energy.
The following graph shows the overall trend of humanity’s use of energy.
Country wise it would look something like this:
The next graph shows the wealth of countries:
Do you see a correlation?
The countries that consume the most energy are by far the richest. No country in the world has ever become rich without using energy.
The Problem
Remember the introduction to the article? An island rich in raw materials but lacking in energy is of little use. It takes tremendous amounts of energy to mine, refine, and use metals and other resources from the ground to make the products we use on a day-to-day basis. More so is the energy to operate these products.
Take the example of manufacturing a car. Producing a normal IC Engine car emits around 9 tons of CO₂. On the other hand, it emits around 62.5 tons of CO₂ while used in Europe throughout its lifetime. Nearly 85% of emissions come from using the vehicle.
You might think, what’s wrong with that?
There’s nothing wrong with using energy to lead a prosperous and sophisticated life. The problem lies in where we get our energy from. The world needs cheap sources of energy to sustain itself, and until a few years ago, coal was and in some parts of the world still is the cheapest source of energy. The second best is natural gas and oil.
“Most people don’t realize it, but the climate change problem is mostly an Energy problem.” - Rishikesh
Think about it! The top three energy sources (87%) used by us are non-renewable and contribute to climate change.
The second part of the problem is related to energy security. It can be said that the country which controls your “energy supply” controls you. Just remember the recent example, when a major state player refused to supply gas to the European subcontinent; Inflation spiked, there was a mini-recession and most importantly people faced the real risk of dying from the harsh cold winter due to the lack of affordable heating, which most people don’t realize is also energy.
The Solution
So, the answer should be to just ditch fossil fuels and go with renewables, right? Well, it’s not so simple. There are a lot of smart people and students like us working on a multitude of solutions. But more often than not, it’s the simple solutions that provide the maximum impact. One of the solutions lies with Efficiency.
For example, if every household in Denmark upgraded their insulation and reduced their thermostat by just 1 degree, the country could save an impressive 2430 GWh of energy and could avoid 387,000 tons of CO₂ emissions.
Here are some practical guidelines to help you contribute to energy conservation:
Energy Efficiency
Recycling
Follow the 3 R's: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. Recycling is particularly effective in conserving resources and energy. For instance, recycling aluminium cans uses 95% less energy than producing new aluminium from bauxite ore. Most importantly, the more you recycle the more you prevent stuff from landing at landfills.
Let's be honest: while the steps we can take as individuals to save energy and reduce CO₂ emissions are important, there is something we can do that would have an even greater impact. It's voting for the right people. It’s voting for politicians who understand energy, understand that the time we have left is sparse, and candidates and parties who are willing enough to do something good.
On a personal level, advocate for energy-efficient appliances and greener products from companies. Companies have started to disclose their carbon footprint only because of public demand. However, let’s be careful not to fall for greenwashing practices. We need genuine action, not just PR stunts.
As we recognize the critical role that policy and leadership play in our transition to a cleaner, more sustainable future, it's essential to appreciate the fundamental importance of energy itself. Energy is not just a political or environmental issue; it is the backbone of our daily lives and the universe at large.
Takeaways
To conclude, I would like to requote Mr. Howard: "Energy is the only universal currency." It is essential for every action and process.
The Climate change problem is mostly an Energy problem. Therefore, fixing “energy” is our best shot at stopping and reversing climate change.
Prioritise efficiency in all your actions, as efficient practices, not only yield long-term savings but also contribute positively to the planet.
Remember, every small action counts. When you feel tired or too lazy to get up and switch off something, imagine a group of people pedalling in your basement just to power your unused appliances. This mental image should serve as a good reminder to be more mindful and responsible with your energy consumption.
Recommended Reading:
Playing my part. (n.d.). Retrieved October 7, 2024, from https://energy.ec.europa.eu/topics/markets-and-consumers/actions-and-measures-energy-prices/playing-my-part_en
*The discussion about human energy was simplified for a general audience. The units for cycling one hour should be 175 watt-hours and using the appliances like a toaster or the coffee machine for 1 hour would consume 1000 watt-hours and 1500 watt-hours respectively.