Radio

Iron

Watts

6

Amps Hrs/day (actual Hrs/day Wh/d

use)

(standby

use)

10.9

2

0.2

12

239.8

kWh/day kWh/yr

0.01

0.24

4.38

87.53

Reference

Next, we want to know how much CO₂ you generate from your energy use.

One kWh of electricity generated in a coal-fired power plant (our main power source) produces

about 2 pounds (lbs) of CO₂. Oil and natural gas produce less.

1. Calculate the CO₂2 produced during your yearly energy use, assuming coal power./n2. Double the number from #1 to account for the CO-2 you produced indirectly through the

purchase of goods and services that need energy.

3. Convert from pound (lbs) of CO₂ to tons of CO₂ by dividing by 2000. (2000 lbs = 1 ton).

Finally, discuss your energy use in light of the following information. Americans typically

generate between 11 and 25 tons of CO₂ annually per person (or ~17 tons of CO2 annually per

person). Currently, worldwide release of CO₂ from fossil fuel combustion and industrial

processes is about 36.8 billion tons per year (EIA, 2023). Since the planet's population is now

7.8 billion, each person's average share of CO₂ should be about 4.7 tons/year. To slow climate

change, some suggest that we need to reduce our usage to just two tons per person per year.

How close do you come to two tons/person, and how close do you think you could come, now

that you know the impacts of your energy use?