CONSERVATION OF

RESOURCES
Influence of lifestyle on consumption of resource
and energy
The lifestyle characteristics that have an impact on resource
consumption include
high income,
car ownership,
large residential floor space,
social movements and
trends related to dietary choices.
The consumption of electronics, textiles and cosmetic products was shown to
have increased considerably.
Influence of lifestyle on consumption of resource
and energy
How does energy consumption affect the environment?
 All energy sources have some impact on our environment.
 Fossil fuels—coal, oil, and natural gas—
do substantially more harm than renewable energy (solar energy, wind
energy, biogas, geothermal) sources by most measures, including air and
water pollution, damage to public health, wildlife and habitat loss,
water use, land use, and emissions leading to global warming.
Influence of lifestyle on consumption of resource
and energy
Calculation of personal energy usage
 How do you calculate energy usage?
 Steps
 Find the wattage on the appliance label. Most high-power appliances have an
energy label on the back or base of the appliance. ...
 Multiply wattage by hours used each day....
 Divide the result by 1,000....
 Multiply your answer by the number of days you're measuring. ...
 Multiply by the cost of electricity per kWh.
Reading Your Electric Bill (At Home)

Directions: Locate a copy of your monthly (preferably any month within the last 6 months)
electric bill. A sample electricity bill has been attached in slide 8 and slide 9. Note that you have
to attach the electricity bill that you are analyzing with this assignment.

Question 1: How much did you pay for electricity for that month (Include both including and
excluding vat)? (This may be listed as “Total bill.” Total Dues (Rounded)” is the amount
without VAT. Check to see if your bill includes other utilities, such as gas, or if your bill covers
more than 1 month.)

Question 2: How many kilowatt hours of electricity did your household use in that month? (This
may be listed as “meter usage,” “recorded demand,” “kWh consumed,” or “electricity
usage.”)
 Reading Your Electric Bill (At Home) Contd..
Question 3: What is the cost you pay per kilowatt hour? (You have to divide the “Total Energy
Charge” by “KWH Consumed”. “Demand Charge” is the charge that is a set fee paid monthly or
seasonally – most customers pay for the energy they use)

Question 4: Can you tell from the bill if any or all of your electricity comes from renewable energy
sources? (You may pay extra to ensure a portion of your electricity come from renewable resources.)

Question 5: Energy efficiency refers to completing a task using less energy input than usual. For
example, an LED light bulb produces the same amount of light as other bulbs, but with less energy.
Where do you see opportunities to become more energy efficient?
Question 6: Energy conservation refers to behaviors and actions that people can do to save or use
less energy. For example, turning off the lights when you leave a room is an action you can take that
reduces the amount of electricity you use. Write down any three actions you could take to reduce the
amount of energy you use?
Reading Your Electric Bill (At Home) Contd..
Question 7: Soha is in the market for a new Air Conditioner! One Air Conditioner she likes is
energy efficient, but a bit more expensive. Using the idea of energy efficiency, what advice
would you have for Soha? Using the idea of energy conservation, can you suggest one behavior
that Soha could take to help her save electricity?
Question 8: The sample bill in slide 8 is for the month of February and the sample bill in slide 9
is for the month of September for the same household. According to you what can be the
possible reasons for such a difference in the bills for these two months?
Ecological Footprint
 The
“ecological
The ecological footprint is a measure of human demand on the Earth's
footprint”
ecosystems. The ecological footprint is one way of measuring the impact
a person has on the environment. It compares human demand with planet
Earth's ecological capacity to regenerate. It represents the amount of
biologically productive land and sea area needed to regenerate the
resources a human population consumes and to absorb and render
harmless the corresponding waste.

Overshoot: humans have surpassed the Earth’s carrying capacity:

 ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT DEFINITIONS
 Carbon footprint: the area needed to absorb carbon emissions generated
by your home energy use and transportation.
 Food footprint: the area needed to grow crops, fish, and graze animals
and absorb carbon emissions from food processing and transport.
 Housing footprint: the area occupied by your home and the area needed
to supply resources used in construction and household maintenance.
 Goods & services footprint: the area needed to supply consumer items
you purchase and absorb carbon emissions from their manufacturing,
transport, and disposal.
ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINTS ARE NOT
ALL EQUAL

The ecological footprints of

countries vary greatly:

 The U.S. footprint is almost 5 times greater

than the world’s average;

 Developing countries have much smaller

footprints than developed countries.
FOOTPRINTS ACROSS THE
WORLD
GLOBAL POPULATION VS. CURRENT ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT BY REGION
CALCULATE YOUR ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT

 Take the Quiz on-line (Every member of the group)

 On-line:
http://www.footprintnetwork.org/en/index.php/GFN/page/
personal_footprint/
 Tips:
 Click on ADD DETAILS TO INCREASE ACCURACY
 See what Solutions can best help you reduce your
ecological footprint
Example Footprint Quiz Results
EXAMPLE FOOTPRINT QUIZ RESULTS
TASKS
 Answer the previous 9 questions
 Take the ecological footprint quiz
 Take screen shot of the results

 Write down any three suggestions to reduce your ecological footprints without compromising
your lifestyle.
 Why do you think the ecological footprint for the people in Bangladesh is so small? Why is it
so large for people living in the United States?