HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1976-10-28, Page 65While this supplement
concentrates on energy
savings in the home, it is
important to put the domestic
sector in perspeetive. The
consumption of energy in the
form of electrictiy and
heating duel in Canadian
homes and farms represents
about one fifth of the total
energy consumption in
Canada. Gasoline for; private
cars represents a further.
', large share of the tran-
sportation sector;
this means several things.
First, saving energy around
the home can have significant
impactsOn 'thenational
l.. scene. If everyone cuts .his
domestic consumption by
only ',la per cent through
furnace tuning; insulation,
lower temperatures or other
measures, the result would be
a, cutback of about 2 per cent
in total national consumption:'
While this _may not seem
large in percentage terms, it
is actually a tremendous
energy 'and dollar: saving for
Canada.. • '
Second, the other sectors of
our economy are also large
energy users; both .industry
and .transportation surpass
residential consumption. This
means that there is both an
opportunity . and a respon-
sibility for conserving .energy
in those sectors. Each of us
can.. , also contribute by
carrying our conservation
concerns over. to our job.
Whether, you drive a truck or
managea business, work in
an office or a factory, there
are numerous 'way's" that you
can conserve. energy each
day..
Kinds off'.
lighting
(continued from page 19)
as the holiday season is over.
Try not to turn themon
until after 6 p.m., • so you
won't add to the peak evening
load, and turn them off before
going to bed. •
In most cases, outdoor
Christmas lighting can
replace• -your normal outdoor
lighting. Don't use both at the
same time. •
Now that you've been
-enlightened, let's see how,
much energy you can save.
Here's'how todo it:
For one day leave extra
lights -on; let the TV and radio
play away. The next day be
conservation. minded turn
off everything you can find.
• On the . first day, read the
electric meter early in the
morning and make a note of
the reading..
The next morning read the
meter again .at the ' same
time, add calculate how
many kilowatt hours were
used;. Read it again on the
--morning of the third day.
Take the difference between
• the two days and multiply by
Third,•' as private citizens
we consultee almost 20 per
cent of Canada's energy
budget in our homes and over
half of the transportation
energy' in our cars, giving us
a total direct .consumption of
about onethird of the total.•-
Theother two . thirds of
Canada's consumption is
used to produce the goods and
services that we . as con-
sumers4demand. This means
that our potential for "con-
servation is not limited to that
one third of the total energy
budget that we consume
directly. By careful 'pur
chases, consumer action,
recycling and choosing
energy-efficient 'travel
modes, we' -can have an im-
pact
on that other two thirds:
Almost all of us believe to
some degree in conservation.
For some people; it is a
simple•- matter of saving
,money; for . others,- a
husbanding of resources now
so that we will not find our-
selves, short in the future.. For
yet other people, con-
servation represents an ideal,
a way of life to which we
should aspire: Whichever is
your . view, there are many,
sound reasons to support
energy conservation •as an
important new direction for
Canadian; energy policy: -Let
us focus briefly on just the.
most obvious of these.
First, there 'is the sheer
physical volume of energy
that • is being demanded in a
world of ever more people,.of
higher incomes and of more
technology: 'With . every in-
crease in our rate of con-
sumption, in Canada as
elsewhere, it becomes harder
to find, produce and transport
the necessary energy
materials. For the first time
we are in a position where,
.projected future demand
levels cannot be satisfied by
conventional energy sources.
Canada will face possible
shortages of oil and natural
gas within the next decade
unless , non -conventional or
potential frontier resources -
can be developed and.
delivered •in sufficient
quantity. Even future elec-
tricity supply is not assured.
Feasible hydro sites are now
almost totally developed and
uranium . • reserves P are
limited.
Second,' even if we could
locate energy resources of
suitablequantities and.
qualities, their costs would be
monumental. It . has been
estimated -that to satisfy
anticipated- demand growth
in Canada to 1985 alone, we
will have to spend' over 4100
billion; that is about $20,000
'per existing household to just.
supply energy.
This effect gets ;worse with
time because, as we move to.
lower quality . and more
remote sources of .energy, it
wit cost- us more and more
energy to obtain energy. That
is, since we have to invest pot
only dollars but also energy
units in order to mine coal or
tar sands, drill -wells; operate
pipelines or whatever, the net
costs of energy delivered to
the consumer will be still
higher.
The impact of, this on our
economy will be severe, both
in : terms of inflation and
because it means' fewer
dollars for schools; hospitals
and otber°industrial projects.
In effect, it implies a return to
365 to findout the number of
kilowatt hours you could save
in a year..
How much -is this in cash?
Check your last electric bill.•
It should show how much you,
pay per kilowatt hour. Why
not encourage your children
tocarry put this. project by
q. themselves: Good. con-
servation training.
The electricmeteris.�
normally on theoutside wall.
of the house or possibly'in.the
basement. If you live in an
apartment and have Stour own
meter, it's probably In the
basement.. (If you can't locate
it, ask the superintendent.)
The dials . are normally.,
organized from left to right.
Some of these turn- cou'nter-
clockwise: Whenthe pointer
is between two numbers, read
the lower number:
Your, meter probably has
four dials. The right one gives
the'reading in tens of kilowatt
hours, the next .one
dreds of kilowatt hour, and so
R EADI N G =0680
• - (20685 is also correct) •
6
Page 23
the, situation in which
Canadian investment would
be concentrated in the
resource sectors of the -
economy.
In view of theresource and
cost factors, . conservation
offers a low-cost and low-risk
alternative to continued high -
demand growth, ,
Third; -assuming the
resources were available
and could be _produced at a
cbst that we were °willing to
:pay, to produce them and
then consume them would •
involve ..large-scale en-
vironmental impacts.-
Obviously to the extent that
we conserve energy and defer
or cancel energy develop-
ment plans,` the. en-
vironmental impact of
production and tran-
sportation
can be avoided.
Moreover in almost • every
instance sound energy con-
servation at the point of• use
also supports environmental
protection. ;True, —in some
cases environmental.
protection techniques seem to
require mote energy, but in
most .cases this arises only
when such techniques are
added on to the end of an
existing process.. The.
emission deviceson
automobiles, are good
examples of -this approach.
When more thought ;is given
to the process as a whole, the
apparent Conflict between
energy conservation and
environmental— protection
usually disappears. .
In summary, energy
conservation can be viewed.,
as - the purest form of ,en-
vironmental protection
Finally let us examine the
idea ofquality of life. This is
perhaps an over -used phrase,
but the fact .that it is"over-
•
B
used means that for many
Canadians, there is a feeling
that .our higher incomes and
greater wealth have not been
producing all that we had
hoped - they would. For
example, we now have
larger, more powerful
automobiles, but it takes us
just as long to get to work and
there are ever more
aggravations en route. Our
luxurious homes • are
-burgeoning with appliances,
our garbage bags burst with
waste from the affluent
society. But : has all this
consumption and con-
venience brought us closer
together orhas. it alienated us
fr'oM the natural world and
each other?
_There is sound evidence to -7
think that most indications of
quality :have begun to turn
downward, that they are by
no means as closely related to
energy consumption .as we
once thought. Indeed, it now
seems' that efforts at
moderating our energy
consumption - smaller cars,
more mass ' transit, better
built houses, less waste
production, more personal
involvement -'will contribute
to the quality of life at the
same time as .they save
energy.
-There are still other
reasons to support a serious
and continuing. effort •at
energy conservation which
cannot be discussed • fully
here. Energy conservation is
likely to require the. sub- . ..
stitution of labor for capital
and will thus account for an
?ncrease in jobs in Canada.
By avoiding the need for
enormous :volumes of im-
ports, . energy conservation
will reduce the dangers of
international 'blackmail and
• confrontation. And so. forth.
s,
nserving
nerqy...
... is :sorneahing every Canadian
should do
If your energy saving project is going to be expensive --
home insulation, home improvements, or a new car that.
will save on gas_aed oil -- come in and see us.
Our low-cost loans can help save you money.
Reminder! Clinton" Community Credit Union
ANNUAL ,MEETING
•
in the Ministry of Agriculture Board Room, Clinton
WEDNESDAY NOV. 10 at 8:O0 P.M.
for the purpose of receiving- report's and financial statements forthe year
ending on September 30th, 1976, declaring•a dividend on shares, electing
' Directors and Credit Committee. officers, appointing auditors; for the
purpose of amending By -Laws and of transacting all other business of an
Annual Meeting. Lunch will follow the meeting.Door prizes.
N
Clinton Commuflity.
Credit Union
70 ONTARIO. STREET 482-4447