Powerless. Gas Shortages Could Be Our Downfall.
I would be lying if I said I had ever given much thought to gas prices. To be completely honest, I assumed they wouldn't really affect my life. When I first heard about this issue I knew next to nothing. I thought to myself "We have a gas cooker but thats the extent to which we use gas". I failed to consider that many of the industries I rely on in my daily life are dependent on natural gas.
Take a look at this article which sums up exactly why you should care about natural gas:
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With natural gas shortages affecting European and Global industries, businesses are being forced to switch to less clean fuels such as oil and coal. This change in energy source is having detrimental effects on Earth's climate, causing major setbacks in global governments environmental plans. The climate crisis is swiftly progressing into an unsolvable issue and humanity cannot afford any loss in progress.
This video from CNBC explains how Europe in particular is impacted by this shortage:
While these industries struggle to come up with a viable solution to this crisis, I decided to take a look at some ways that I could personally reduce my energy use in an attempt to offset some of the damage. With inevitable rises in electricity costs, these small changes have allowed me to save money. The benefits are endless! It only took me a quick google to figure out exactly what to do to make an impact.
I think everyone should take a look at ways to reduce energy consumption and thus costs, for their own sake. If you're looking for ideas of where to start, here are a few tips from the sustainable energy authority of Ireland:
A measure my household is considering investing in is solar energy. While little changes like turning off sockets help, they unfortunately do not have an impact on electricity outages. As gas prices soar there will likely be power outages in our future and stockpiling solar energy is a great way to avoid this inconvenience. It will also reduce the electricity bill which is a wonderful bonus. There is also a comfort in knowing our house could sustain itself and is not contributing to the overwhelming demand for energy. Knowing that our appliances are powered with green energy would allow me to enjoy using them guilt-free.
This article from the Irish Times contains an interesting table showcasing the rise in energy prices in Ireland:
Photo by Johannes Plenio on Unsplash
Overall, I strongly believe it is worth doing some research on ways to both save money on energy and also help our planet.
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