Short note of the misuse and effects of energy
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What Are the Effects of Overusing Energy?
Written by Chris Dinesen Rogers; Updated December 27, 2018
What Are the Effects of Overusing Energy?
Conserving energy is not just about saving on your electricity costs. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) warns that, given the current trends, energy-related emissions will increase by 70 percent by 2050. This can accelerate the negative consequences of climate change, including higher temperatures and a rise in the frequency of extreme weather events (See References 1).
Increased Carbon Footprint
The primary environmental effect of energy overuse is an increase in your carbon footprint, but there are simple changes you can make at home to avoid this. For example, if you keep devices plugged in and running when they're not in use, the result is an increase in electrical use and, consequently, a bump in the amount of greenhouse gases that enter the atmosphere. Leaving your laptop plugged in all the time will use nearly 300 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity each year, and a desktop computer left to idle will use more than 600 kW of electricity annually. Even leaving your fully charged cellphone attached to its charger can waste almost 20 kWh a year, explains the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. (References 2 and 3)