This includes all primary and secondary energy consumed for end-use within a region, regardless of where it was produced. Final energy demand is energy consumed by industries and individuals (i.e., energy consumed to accomplish work, rather than energy transformed into other forms of energy or consumed by the energy industry). To measure energy intensity, we use a region’s final energy demand per unit of GDP. This is a better measure than per capita energy use because energy use is affected, to a large degree, by a region’s income. For a sustainable energy future, Canada must encourage economic activity and GDP growth that does not rely on increased energy consumption that has an environmental impact.Ī common way to measure energy intensity is to look at the ratio of energy use to GDP. Increasing energy efficiency and reducing energy intensity should be a policy goal for Canadian provinces, Canada as a whole, and its peer countries as a way to mitigate climate change and conserve energy.
All else being equal, societies that use less energy-that is, have a lower energy intensity-have a lower impact on the environment than those that use greater amounts of energy. Given the environmental impacts of the various forms of energy we use, the amount of energy we produce and consume matters. And while hydro dams used to generate electricity have low GHG emissions, they can change the landscape dramatically, often harming the local ecosystem. The combustion of fossil fuels produces greenhouse gases (GHGs) and other noxious fumes that contribute to climate change and respiratory illness. While some forms of energy generation and use have little impact on the environment (solar-generated electricity and heat from geothermal pumps, for example), much of the energy we consume has substantial environmental consequences. Much of the harm to the environment that results from human economic activity stems from energy use.
0 kommentar(er)
