How Does Saving Energy Help the Environment?.
Energy Use Leads to Greenhouse Gas Emissions It has become a part of common wisdom that decreasing energy consumption is good for the environment, but how exactly saving energy helps the environment may not be readily apparent. When humans use energy, it produces a negative externality in the form of greenhouse gas emissions; each bit of energy we use translates into corresponding release of carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane and other harmful gases. When using certain types of energy, this release is more easily identified than others–for instance, burning gasoline in a car creates a direct release of CO2 and other gases into the air. In the case of electricity, the harmful emissions are not created at the home of the end user but at the power plant that generates the electricity. Coal power plants release greenhouse gases in large quantities. Certain types of plants, such as hydroelectric power and wind power generators may not release greenhouse gases themselves, but the materi
