The Car Crisis.

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                                                                        The Car Crisis

One way the average consumer can reduce the negative effects of energy expenditure is through transportation means. The exhaust from daily driving contributes to a bulk of those airborne pollutants today. It is for this reason that car companies have flocked to the promise of cleaner cars, since cars themselves have become an integral part of life. However cars have made dramatic gains in energy efficiency within the technological medium of the gasoline engine. Between 1973 and 1985 the fuel efficiency of cars rose 37% for all passenger cars, however as of late it has decreased by 5% due to an influx of sport utility vehicles, minivans, and light trucks which are not subjected to the same emission and efficiency ratings of smaller cars. Although oil itself has remained an inexpensive commodity, a lack of oil, or at least an inadequacy of the rate of its extraction has driven up the price of oil, creating an incentive for alternate forms of transportation energy. However with existing technology, an average fuel efficiency level of 35 miles per gallon could be attained in all cars, and create a dramatic change in carbon dioxide levels as well as oil import costs. This it is a converging effect of less-efficient vehicles, oil shortages, and most of all an ever increasing human population that exponentially makes the existing power supplies inadequate.

What is renewable energy?

Renewable energy systems use resources that are constantly replaced and are usually less polluting. Examples of renewable energy systems include solar, wind, and geothermal energy (getting energy from the heat in the earth). We also get renewable energy from trees and plants, rivers, and even garbage.

Solar energy 

We can use the energy in sunshine to warm and light our homes, heat our water, and provide electricity to power our lights, stoves, refrigerators, and other appliances. This energy comes from processes called solar heating, solar water heating, photovoltaic energy (converting sunlight directly into electricity), and solar thermal electric power (when the sun's energy is concentrated to heat water and produce steam, which is used to produce electricity).

Solar heating
Have you ever sat in a car that was closed up on a sunny day? Did you notice how hot it was in the car? This warmth is just one example of solar heating. We can use the sun to heat other things, including our homes. Today, more than 200,000 houses in the United States have been designed to use features that take advantage of the sun's energy. These homes often use passive solar designs, which do not normally require pumps, fans, or other mechanical equipment to store and distribute the sun's energy. In contrast, active solar designs need additional mechanical components.

A passive solar home or building naturally collects the sun's heat through large, south-facing windows, which are just one aspect of passive design. Once the heat is inside, we need to capture and absorb it. Think about a sunny spot on the floor of your house on a cold day. That "sun spot" is nice and warm, right? It is warm because it holds the sun's heat, and we call such things absorbers. 

In solar buildings, sunspaces are built onto the south side of the structure and act as large absorbers. The floors of sunspaces are usually made of tiles or bricks that absorb heat throughout the day, and then release heat. When the air is colder than the floor, the tiles or bricks release the heat to the air. For more information on sunspaces, contact the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Clearinghouse (see the list of Resources at the end of this publication).

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A challenge with solar heating is keeping the heat inside the house. One way to do this is to use special windows that reflect the heat back into the house. Another aspect of solar heating is that the house absorbs heat even during hot weather, when the last thing you need is more heat! So, passive solar homes need to be designed to let the heat in during cold months and block the sun in the hot months. How can you do this?

You can use deciduous trees or bushes in front of the south-facing windows. These plants lose ...

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