ENSC103 - Critical Response #2 COPY
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Dec 6, 2023
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docx
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Critical Response:
What Should We Do About Climate Change?
Department of Environmental Studies, Queen’s University
ENSC103: Environment and Sustainability
Dr. Kristen Lowitt
October 23, 2023
2
Energy Efficiency to Combat Climate Change
The energy sector is arguably the most dangerous threat to climate change, with more than 80%
of global energy consumption reliant on the combustion of fossil fuels. This sector is responsible
for approximately two-thirds of greenhouse gas emissions (Brown, S., & Lowitt, K., 2023).
Therefore, the adoption of targeted energy efficiency is not only a viable solution but an essential
one.
Improving energy efficiency entails achieving the same level of service while using less energy.
In other terms, something is considered more energy efficient if it provides more services with
the same energy input or the same services with less. Energy efficiency is a broad domain,
encompassing applications in multiple sectors, such as buildings, transport, industry, and
electricity (Lowitt, 2023). A classic and widely recognizable example is the emergence of light-
emitting diode (LED) bulbs. Compared to fluorescent bulbs, they use half as much electricity and
last five times as long (Lowitt, 2023).
The technology for energy efficiency is already at our disposal, spanning from energy-efficient
manufacturing facilities and motor systems to heating and cooling equipment and road vehicles.
In certain countries, like the European Union, Japan, the United States, and China, these energy
performance standards are already in place (Brown, S., & Lowitt, K., 2023). Meanwhile, their
introduction and scaling, via increased education and accessibility, is needed in others.
Through efforts aimed at managing and restraining the growth in energy consumption, energy
efficiency is one of the “easiest” and “most cost-effective” manners to utilize technology to
reduce energy waste (U.S. Department of Energy, n.d.). This solution holds the potential to
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reduce 49% of energy-sector emissions (Lowitt, 2023), allowing fossil fuels to remain in the
ground and fostering sustainability on a global scale. (282 words)
References
Brown, S., & Lowitt, K. (2023). Environment and Sustainability. In T. A. Easton (Eds.),
Redrawing the Energy-Climate Map
(pp. 84-86). McGraw Hill.
Lowitt, K. (2023). Environment and Sustainability.
Chapter 20: Sustainable Energy
(pp. 450-
475). McGraw Hill.
Lowitt, K. (2023).
Global Climate Change: An introduction [2-15]
. Department of
Environmental Studies, Queen’s University.
U.S. Department of Energy. (n.d.).
Energy Efficiency: Buildings and Industry
.
https://www.energy.gov/eere/energy-efficiency-buildings-and-industry
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