Various sources of energy can be used to power human activities, and the choice of particular sources has a deep impact on the quality of human life and its environment (Energy Literacy). The most common sources of energy are fossil fuels, such as natural gas, coal, uranium and biomass. Except for the biomass, all these sources are non-renewable, in contrast to such sources as sunlight, wind, and water.
The sixth fundamental principle says that the amount of energy used by human society is influenced by different factors, but it can be diminished with conscious efforts of the people. The most important challenge in satisfying the global energy needs is decreasing the consumption of energy to avoid the depletion of limited natural resources. It can be done through conservation, which implies the efficient and strategic use of energy resources. Another serious challenge is the need to reduce the carbon footprint of the humanity, which also calls for the reduction of energy consumption.
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"Energy Literacy".
Engineers from my discipline contribute to advances in energy conservation primarily by evaluating the costs of engineering decisions and advising their customers to follow energy-efficient strategies. For example, when working on office or residential buildings, engineers can promote the use of the most efficient light equipment that would enable the enterprise or residents to use less electricity. Also, they can analyze architectural plans and make amendments to improve the heating and cooling properties of the building. Such technical items as insulation, air sealing and energy efficient materials can help to significantly reduce the heat losses in a house. Also, engineers conduct technical and financial estimation of conservation alternatives to demonstrate their customers that energy-efficient processes and materials will help them to save money in the future.
The scope of most energy resources used at present is limited, which means that the humanity should invest more efforts in the conservation of energy. Engineers can contribute to energy conservation by designing energy efficient houses, analyzing different construction options and detecting the engineering deficiencies that lead to heat losses.
