Electricity: Electrifyingly Scary

Go stand outside and take a deep breath. Inhale and exhale the air. What did you think? Did you smell "fresh" air? Well if you said yes, you are totally WRONG. There is nothing fresh about the air we're breathing right at this very moment. You can thank your buddy electricity, because he has everything to do with it.


Electricity generation is the dominant industrial source of air emissions in the United States today. Fossil fuel-fired power plants are responsible for 67% of the nation's sulfur dioxide emissions, 23% of nitrogen oxide emissions, and 40% of man-made carbon dioxide emissions. These emissions can lead to smog, acid rain, and haze.


Look at this:

Can you believe that coal fueled 42% of 4 trillion kilowatt-hours of energy generated in the United States? That's trillion, with a "T"! What makes it so bad is that coal is a source of nonrenewable energy. When coal is burned, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and mercury compounds are released into the atmosphere, into the air we breathe!

On top of that, oil and other fossil fuels are used to create electricity so that we can live by what we define as "comfortable." To make matters worse, these forms of energy are in short supply, and have been at the center of world conflicts with the Middle East, especially over the greed of oil.

Did you know that U.S. electricity use in 2011 was more than 13 times greater than electricity use in 1950? 

Check this out:

We are polluting the air we breathe by wasting so much energy and electricity for what? To just be able to stay up 45 minutes longer to catch the evening news or read a book? (That might not be why, but you get what I mean.)  It's just not worth it.

That is why it is so crucial for us to understand the importance of cutting back on electricity use. If we can unplug items when they're not in use, keep lights cut off, and not use so many power strips, then maybe our air will stop being so polluted. As we've reiterated before, the purpose of the "Going Green" team is to help save the planet, which ultimately means YOU! This means that we need to clean up the air that is a necessity for human life to thrive! Therefore, cut back on electricity use! Trust me, your lungs will thank you later.

S.P.