if energy can't be created or destroyed, why is wasting energy a problem?

Question

I mean, people worry about saving energy and electricity when really it isn't being destroyed. So what's the problem if someone leaves a lightbulb on for too long? besides running electricity bill, does it actually hurt the environment? I would like to understand this.

Answer 1

you're right, energy isn't created or destroyed, but humans only know of very limited ways to harness all the energy on this earth, so if you do leave the light bulb on you are wasting energy because the energy that we do know how to harness is being used to power that light bulb, and that energy is giving off a by product which we don't know how to reharness...if we did, we probably wouldn't have as many environmental problems as we do now.

Answer 2

basically, you're correct about the creation and destruction of energy - it's called entropy.

where the problem lies is in HOW we create energy. We turn the energy inherent in coal into a more useable form - electricity. when we do this it releases VERY harmful gases into the atmosphere. Same with oil, nuclear etc. Solar and Wind generation have problems too, in that the creation of the panels and the turbines bugger the enironment as they're being made - silicon for glass is mined, which creates problems where the mine is (e.g. beach mining for sand = big problems in regeneration of original habitat).

There are solutions, however. Applying biodiesel technology to autos would certainly be a step in the right direction; there's some VERY interesting work being done with algal filters on coal fired power station chimneys; simply reducing our NEED for power has a lot to do with a long term solution - there's plenty of things we can do to reverse the trends that we're seeing like incredible increases in the ocean's level, the full-on weather patterns a lot of the planet's experiencing etc. etc.

If you'd like some more info, please drop me a line. I'm always happy to share my knowledge!

Love and Light,

Jarrah

Answer 3

You are addressing three separate issues; that of physics, economics, and environment. From a pure physics standpoint, energy cannot be destroyed or "lost" in the sense that it ceases to exist. So, as far as my limited knowledge of physics is concerned, you are correct.

Energy conservation on the other hand is about economics and environment. Production of energy into a usable format costs money. Which means companies that refine energy for consumption pass that cost on to the consumer with an added profit margin tacked on.

The other aspect of the issue is one of environment. When converting raw materials and energy sources into usable, consumable energy you run into the fact that most, if not all, of these methods generate pollution or environmental impact of some sort. They also require the expenditure of energy to convert the raw material into an usable energy source. When we use energy of any sort it is an imperfect system. We lose a large percentage of energy in the form of heat.

So I believe the end answer is that to refine most, if not all, forms of modern usable energy we generate some degree of pollution or environmental impact. When we use that refined energy it also generates some degree of pollution or environmental impact.

Answer 4

Energy can be spent, and converted to matter. What conservationists are talking about is the use of our limited supplies of fossil fuels like oil, the use of which tends to pollute the environment and is at the core of the global warming argument.