Global Warming: A Sustainable Approach for Energy Use

Abstract

Global warming is a major proponent of climate change. Awareness for this problem is one of the biggest hurdles to overcome. The Canadian government commissioned several environmental agencies to monitor climate change. The data from such studies was analysed and put into context with respect to Canadian energy projections for the future by introducing programs to implement reforms. The reduction of greenhouse gasses and toxic emissions is the goal of Local Energy Efficiency Partnership programs. This is a key step in changing regulations to attain stricter targets. In this paper we examine the effect of such programs on residential energy consumption from 1990s to 2013 using data provided by Statistics Canada. Data comparing energy consumption by decade, shows Canada’s energy efficiency improved by 24%, avoiding 85.4 megatons of greenhouse gas emissions. This led to the introduction of ENERGY STAR certified products which were redesigned for eco-friendly environments. The result was, approximately 8.3 petajoules (PJ) of energy was saved equivalent to the energy used by 1.8 million cars for one year. By 2015, reports show that more than 70,000 efficient new homes had been built, consuming 20-50% less energy than typical homes.