Answers to the 25 questions posed by teens in Houston

The following are the answers provided by the Mayor of Houston's Office of Environmental Planning. This FAQ will be posted on a new green youth site that will be published soon.

What is Energy Conservation?
(Questions from the students of the Fifth Ward Teen Enterprise Center 2008)
1.    How is energy usage leading to a huge crisis?


It is not all energy usage that leads to a crisis; it is energy usage that comes from non-renewable sources. The more non-renewable energy we use, like natural gas and petroleum, the more pollution is being created, resulting in a public health problem. Also, it will become a crisis if we continue to only develop non-renewable sources, because at some point they can be used up, when that occurs, we would have a major crisis on our hands.


2.    Is there more then one type of energy?


Yes, there are several types of energy. For the state of Texas the following sources of energy are ranked by the highest amount used, to the lowest amount used.
1.    Natural Gas
2.    Petroleum
3.    Coal
4.    Nuclear
5.    Other (Wind, Solar, Geothermal, Hydroelectric, and wood)

3.    How much energy do appliances use when they're actually not being used?


This is called phantom or vampire power. It is suggested that on average 10 to 15 watts of energy are used when an appliance is not being used. This accounts for approximately a 5% loss of a homes total annual energy, adding up to $3 billion each year in the United States.

4.    Are fossil fuels destroying the ozone layer?


Yes, burning fossil fuels release polluting chemicals that destroy the ozone layer. Currently there is a hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica that opens every fall. 

5.    If the ozone layer is destroyed, can man survive on earth?


The ozone layer protects living things from harmful UV rays. As the ozone layer thins the most common problems are increases in skin cancer and cataracts. Without proper protection from the UV rays man could not survive on earth without the ozone layer.

6.    What are the top three forms of conservation?


We often talk about conservation in terms of reducing, reusing, and recycling. It is important to remember that these forms of conservation are ranked according to the best conservation method first. We should first look at where we could reduce, then look to reuse, and then recycle.

.    How many types of light bulbs are there?


The major types of light bulbs are incandescent lights, florescent lights, compact florescent lights or CFLs, and LED lights. CFLs and LED use less energy to light the bulb and therefore they’re more energy efficient.

8.    What energy affects our community the most?


Currently, petroleum and natural gas have been negatively affecting our community. These forms of energy create harmful emissions that we breathe causing health risks. Moreover, with the demand on these sources increasing, the costs are raising creating economic hardships. However, it is important to remember that all energy sources have an affect on our community whether positive or negative.

9.    How could I convince people to conserve, and recycle?


Right now an effective argument for conserving and recycling is economic. When people conserve energy they are saving themselves money. Second, it is important to let people know that it is our responsibility to become sustainable, and protect human health.

10.    Can I make money recycling?


Yes, some materials are worth more than others, and as the price of oil raises so does the price of recyclable material.

11.    What everyday habits cause pollution?


Driving, using electricity, and creating waste that is sent to a landfill, to name only a few.

12.    Does one person really make a difference?


Everything has to begin with one person, so while there may not be a big affect from that one person, that person will affect others, who will affect others and so and so forth.

13.    What happens to the things we recycle?


They are melted down and reused. Your plastic bottle can become someone’s carpet, and old newspaper can become new newspaper.

14.    How can we save CO2?


You can cut CO2 by changing your behavior. Use less energy, in both your home and your vehicle, reduce, reuse, and recycle, conserve water, plant trees, become educated, and encourage others to do the same.

15.    Why not use corn oil instead of gas?


Corn oil is a cleaner burning fuel, but because it comes from a food source it has negative consequences on the global food market. Food is diverted from consumption to fuel, and more farmers stop farming other important food sources and focus on the fuel crop to get more money.

16.    Which energy will run out first?


It is hard to know exactly which source will run out first, but the important thing to remember is that all non-renewable energy sources will run out at some point. That is why it is very important to invest now in renewable energy sources, like the sun and wind. These sources will never run out and are much cleaner to use.

17.    What is Kinetic energy?


It is the energy that develops as a result of motion. Thus, when wind blows the blades of a wind turbine it puts that object in motion creating kinetic energy that is harnessed into power that we use.

18.    How do solar panels work?


Solar panels collect solar radiation from the sun and convert that energy to usable electricity. Solar panels are comprised of several individual solar cells. Photons from the Sun push electrons in the semiconductor up into higher orbits where they are collected by the electrodes which deliver the current to the battery charging circuit.

19.    How much energy can you get from recycled plastic?


Because plastics are made from fossil fuels, you can think of them as another form of stored energy. Pound for pound, plastics contain as much energy as petroleum or natural gas, and much more energy than other types of garbage. This makes plastic an ideal fuel for waste-to-energy plants.

20.    What type of water is recyclable? (bath, rain, drains)


All water can be recycled. Bath and waste water can be collected to use in landscaping or irrigation, rain water can be collected and used in irrigation, or it can be cleaned and used as drinking water. The amount of water on the earth always remains the same. The water cycle explains how this all works.

21.    What is the best substance to recycle for energy?


There are a lot of substances that can be recycled for energy, but the important question when looking for the best is, is the source renewable, if you answer yes, then that is the better source.

22.    Doesn’t plastic give off poisonous effects?


There are harmful chemical that are in plastics, the best option is to try using other material, or recycling what plastics you do use.

23.    Is it possible to be 100% recyclable?


It is possible to be 100% on recycling recyclable material, but some material is not recyclable, like hygiene products. So, recycling 100% of the material that can be recycled is a great goal.

24.    Since woods burns, why isn’t it considered recyclable?


When wood burns it creates harmful emissions, it is better to recycle woody waste by composting rather than burning.

25.    If everyone did their part conserving energy and saving & using recyclables. What would be the overall life time saving & benefit?


There would be a substantial life time savings, doing simple energy saving actions around your home could save 10-20% annually. The benefits range from economical benefits to health benefits. The bottom line is we all need to do our part to make our communities sustainable.