Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Light bulbs and vehicle combustion engines are particularly ineffi cient and trans-
form around 80% of energy used into undesirable waste heat. Even 'useful' energy
is often wasted, for example when lights are left on in empty rooms, poorly insulated
buildings are heated or people drive round and round the block to fi nd a parking
space. If one looks at all the losses incurred, it emerges that at best only 20% of
original primary energy is being used sensibly (Figure 3.1).
Figure 3.1
During transport or conversion around 80% of energy in Europe is lost or not
used sensibly.
When it comes to certain aspects of the lifestyles of industrialized societies, the
percentage of sensible energy use is even much smaller. However, the sort of person
who tries to talk friends out of taking long fl ights or buying a new car with all the
extras, or keeps telling his family to turn down the central heating, tends not to be
very popular. The choice of one's own lifestyle, fi nances permitting, is considered
one of those individual freedoms that no one else has a right to infl uence. Therefore,
saving the environment does not mean looking for scapegoats but instead seeking
solutions that meet both lifestyle and environmental needs.
This does not mean that everyone can abuse his or her right to a certain lifestyle
and thoughtlessly treat energy and the environment with disrespect. People who
against their better judgement refuse to accept a technology that would enable them
to retain their lifestyle but at the same time considerably reduce energy consumption
and save the environment are acting irresponsibly. This also applies to policies that
do not strive towards a speedy introduction of the most optimal technologies.
Many small steps that could help create an environmentally compatible society are
also not being implemented due to a lack of knowledge or appropriate awareness.
Many of the problems related to energy use are extremely complex. Optimal solu-
tions to these problems often depend on a number of different factors.
For example, one issue that is often debated is whether a gas or an electric stove is
more effi cient. Compared to an electric stove, a gas stove produces more waste heat.
Anyone who has ever scorched a potholder on a gas hob will be able to confi rm
this. Yet gas has the reputation of being the ecologically better alternative.
Conventional coal - fi red, natural gas and nuclear power plants for electricity genera-
