Energy Consumption
The world’s population is dependent on non-renewable and renewable energy resources i.e. coal and water for basic necessities. As the population of cities increase, the demand for energy resources becomes higher which implements pressure on already limited energy supplies. Australian household energy consumption is becoming to be unsustainable and frighteningly high. Increasing urbanisation follows this pattern as more infrastructures are required for the needs of many residents, thus more energy and electricity is required. This generates a problem for countries including Australia, as citizens are reliant upon nonrenewable energy sources which will soon diminish due to the enormous use of these energy resources.
In industrialised countries consumption of products and resources is part of modern consumption culture and to value materialised belongings. However many of these goods are unnecessary for a comfortable lifestyle and the production of these goods create excess pollution which generate huge amounts of waste, and is harming the environmental structure of the planet.
The environmental effects of energy consumption not only impact their country but also other nations. For instance, the burning of fossil fuels used for vehicles and cooling and heating houses, contributes to global carbon dioxide levels. Also, wealthier countries depend on resources that produce waste as a by-product and are exports that have been produced in other countries. Residents in the wealthier countries are able to enjoy these products without dealing with the direct effects of pollution from production factories.
Residents residing in developed countries often have high energy consumption patterns and a large ecological footprint compared to still developing countries that have a faster population growth but a smaller ecological footprint as the basic needs for many people are not being met.
Observing the Australian consumption of energy, the country has one of the largest ecological footprints in the globe. Australia reported to have an ecological footprint of 6.7 global hectares per resident mostly due to the large amount of carbon emissions. This means that if the rest of the globe had the same energy consumption rate as Australia, mankind would need 3.6 earths to sustain society’s needs.
If Metropolis residents use a large energy consumption of non-renewable energy sources like coal to sustain their needs such as using electricity and fossil fuels for agriculture, it will contribute to an even larger ecological foot print of Australia. This will happen due to more green-house gas emissions in the air and non-renewable energy sources will soon diminish because of their large usage to sustain Australian homes. Without detailed planning to ensure adequate supply of energy for the future, Metropolis will struggle to sustain their citizens. Metropolis must look at other renewable energy sources that are more eco-friendly to sustain their needs.
"Today humanity uses the equivalent of 1.5 planets to provide the resources we use and absorb our waste. This means it now takes the Earth one year and six months to regenerate what we use in a year." - Global Footprint Network
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How to manage Energy Consumption
The environmental price of consuming non-renewable sources i.e. fossil fuels has ultimately decreased their existence and contributed to a large energy consumption rate and an exceptionally large ecological footprint. Reducing the energy consumption rate will have positive effects on the environment and sustain the city for future generations to come.
To reduce energy consumption in Metropolis, designing and constructing better infrastructure will assist in sustaining and managing the city. The city of Metropolis must sought alternative energy sources to fossil fuels which are renewable and eco-friendly like hydro power and solar power appliances. Constructing houses with a passive design are more environmentally friendly and reduce energy consumption.
Passive designing incorporates the natural weather to heat and cool homes, with minimal use of electrical energy, by using renewable sources like solar power. For instance, in Australia, placing large windows on the norther side of houses allows the winter sun to light up and warm the house (without the use of a heater) while these windows can be easily shaded by eaves to keep the house cool. Alternatively having smaller or no windows on the western, eastern and southern side prevents excessive sunlight in summer and cools the house down without the use of an air conditioner.
Installing solar panels used to power hot water systems and other systems use the sun’s energy, thus reducing energy consumption.
Using dense materials like concrete, bricks and stone for insulation in ceilings, floors, and between the walls of a house prevent the hot air from escaping outside to the cold winter’s air, and the hot outside air moving inside to the air-conditioned house as heat energy moves from a hotter area to a cooler one.
Also using natural vegetation on rooftops or around the house provides good insulation, habitats for insects, provides shade and controls storm water from running off.
Energy efficient appliances should also be used to reduce water and electricity bills, and using public transport or walking/ cycling to destinations helps relieve the atmosphere from carbon dioxide emissions.
Passive house designing is already being incorporated in designing cities of Australia and has positively assisted the nation in reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions into the air. If all houses and building in Australia had a passive design, Australia’s ecological footprint would be reduced and less damage to the environment would be done.
To reduce energy consumption in Metropolis, designing and constructing better infrastructure will assist in sustaining and managing the city. The city of Metropolis must sought alternative energy sources to fossil fuels which are renewable and eco-friendly like hydro power and solar power appliances. Constructing houses with a passive design are more environmentally friendly and reduce energy consumption.
Passive designing incorporates the natural weather to heat and cool homes, with minimal use of electrical energy, by using renewable sources like solar power. For instance, in Australia, placing large windows on the norther side of houses allows the winter sun to light up and warm the house (without the use of a heater) while these windows can be easily shaded by eaves to keep the house cool. Alternatively having smaller or no windows on the western, eastern and southern side prevents excessive sunlight in summer and cools the house down without the use of an air conditioner.
Installing solar panels used to power hot water systems and other systems use the sun’s energy, thus reducing energy consumption.
Using dense materials like concrete, bricks and stone for insulation in ceilings, floors, and between the walls of a house prevent the hot air from escaping outside to the cold winter’s air, and the hot outside air moving inside to the air-conditioned house as heat energy moves from a hotter area to a cooler one.
Also using natural vegetation on rooftops or around the house provides good insulation, habitats for insects, provides shade and controls storm water from running off.
Energy efficient appliances should also be used to reduce water and electricity bills, and using public transport or walking/ cycling to destinations helps relieve the atmosphere from carbon dioxide emissions.
Passive house designing is already being incorporated in designing cities of Australia and has positively assisted the nation in reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions into the air. If all houses and building in Australia had a passive design, Australia’s ecological footprint would be reduced and less damage to the environment would be done.
To sustain Metropolis, passive house/building designing needs to be conducted to reduce energy consumption. The use of renewable energy sources will reduce the decline of non-renewable sources and contribute in lessening Metropolis's ecological footprint. Products that are unnecessary to a comfortable lifestyle should be produced on a smaller scale as this will reduce the burning of fossil fuels when manufacturing these products. This manages population growth by ensuring Metropolis’s residents’ needs are sustained with measures such as passive designing and are implemented to reduce energy consumption of household and businesses like agricultural farming.
As the population grows, more energy will be required and by using renewable energy sources and efficient measures, energy consumption will be reduced. Endeavours to reduce energy consumption needs to happen in the short/medium term future to sustain the growing population of Metropolis. By reducing energy consumption, the cities ecological foot print will be reduced and there will be fewer pollutants that contribute to air pollution. By having a smaller ecological foot print means that fewer resources will be required to sustain the living needs of a growing population allowing for less land to be used as landfill sites and more land as for residential areas or constructing buildings. Reducing energy consumption is an ideal measure to sustain a growing population.
Environment
Energy consumption helps the environment by conserving non-renewable sources of energy, lessening the amount of carbon emissions into the air and reducing the ecological foot-print. This makes the area a more sustainable destination to live while still housing a large and growing population.
Society
Reducing energy consumption also reduces the cost of energy and water bills for the public. Awareness will be raised and the public will urge governments and companies to stop the mass production of goods which are being powered by non-renewable energy sources and erecting green-house gas emissions into the air.
Economy
By reducing energy consumption, less pressure is put on governments to build sophisticated infrastructure which incorporate electrical and water systems. Instead, the money could go towards funding projects in the endeavour to discover efficient ways of providing Metropolis with energy from renewable energy sources and organise campaigns to promote the eco-friendly use of renewable sources and reduce energy consumption if households/businesses are still using fossil fuels as a source of energy.
As the population grows, more energy will be required and by using renewable energy sources and efficient measures, energy consumption will be reduced. Endeavours to reduce energy consumption needs to happen in the short/medium term future to sustain the growing population of Metropolis. By reducing energy consumption, the cities ecological foot print will be reduced and there will be fewer pollutants that contribute to air pollution. By having a smaller ecological foot print means that fewer resources will be required to sustain the living needs of a growing population allowing for less land to be used as landfill sites and more land as for residential areas or constructing buildings. Reducing energy consumption is an ideal measure to sustain a growing population.