Economics

Becoming energy efficient is more than just about keeping the environment clean, it's also a huge effect on the economy. The definition of energy efficiency is to use less energy and still get the same services done, so by becoming energy efficient, you reduce the amount of energy consumption.
Reducing the energy consumption means we spend less money on energy and by spending less money, it leaves more money in the pockets of the people. The people can then go out and spend the money they make on other things like food or clothing.
Another way becoming energy efficient does is make jobs. To become energy efficient, we need to get rid of flaws in our energy system, like light bulbs or housing insulation for example. In order to do that, we need to employ people to go out and help solve these problems. Also, it leads to the production of more efficient products making jobs in factories as well.
The last way it effects the US economy is that you can report what you've spent on becoming energy efficient in your tax report to benefit you. According to Judkis from the US News, "You can also take advantage of a number of tax credits for energy-efficient home purchases."
These are just some ways the economy is effected by becoming energy efficient.

LED Light Bulbs

LED is short for light-emitting diode.  The LED light bulb was first made in the mid 1990’s. They are semiconductors that work by passing electrons turn into light. LED light bulbs are a little more efficient than CFL light bulbs because most of the energy is directed to light instead of heat. The LED light bulbs are heat sensitive so the bulbs have a Heat sink plate that moves the heat away from the bulbs, which is made by aluminum. Some of the common uses for LED's are for light bulbs at your home, lights in cars, and light bulbs in cell phones.

LED light bulbs also have a different color of light emitted by the bulb. Unlike the other 2 light bulbs, the LED lights give off a white or cool blue color which is just due to the fact that it’s the color the diodes give off. 

LEDs have also been given more features than just giving off light. A new light bulb that was invented was the lumen TL800 LED Smart bulb. Unlike the light bulbs we are used to, it has special features you can control. With the Lumen TL800 you can change the bulbs color, you can make the bulb brighter or dimmer, and it has a sensor that can make it change it sync to your music. It is Bluetooth so that makes it accessible from your phone.   

Hydrogen the Energy Source of the Future?

Hydrogen powered technology is a contraversial topic right now in technology. There are many good and bad things about having hydrogen become the next main source of energy in the world.
Hydrogen is probably the most ecofriendly fule avalible. Unlike fossil fuels, when cumbusted, hydrogen doesn't release any green house gasses into the atmosphere causing climate change. Instead, it produces water as a "waste". Also, you can get hydrogen by spliting water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen. Finally, Hydrogen is aproximatly 2 times as exxicient as fossil fuels.
Now for the downside. Production of hydrogen is quite expensive. In order to get hydrogen by itself, you need to remove it from a bond with another element, water being the easiest to obtain. Also, you spend more energy making hydrogen than you actually get by using it. Next, Hydrogen has to be kept in a low temperature and under high amout of pressure.
These are the good things and bad things about using hydrogen as a primary source of energy in the future.

My Passion for Energy Efficiency

There are many reasons for me being passionate about energy efficiency. A few of my reasons are due to the fact that I want to keep a few extra dollars in my pocket, I want to keep the environment clean, and I want to major in environmental engineering. Who doesn't like to save money? We all like to get more out of our money and becoming energy efficient is one way to save money. Energy efficiency makes it so that you use less energy, which saves you money, and still get the same results in the end. Another reason why i want to become energy efficient is so that we reduce the amount of pollution that is released into the environment. I've grown up enjoying the outdoors and I would like conserve the environment so people in the future to see the same things I saw growing up. I wouldn't enjoy living in a place that is filled with pollutants in the air. Finally, I want to be an environmental engineer in the future, and energy efficiency is one of the main goals for environmental engineers. This is why I'm passionate for becoming energy efficient.

Incandescent Light Bulbs are now Illegal in the USA

According to USA TODAY, incandescent light bulbs are now no longer manufactured or imported in the USA as of January 1, 2014 to support the use of CLF and LED light bulbs. I'm glad the government has taken action and banned incandescent light bulbs from the USA. You might not think this is a big change but it really is. Approximately 17% of the USA energy is used for lighting. If every light bulb is replaced with CFL and LED light bulbs, we would cut our energy consumption by as much as 13%. That's the energy we lose just as heat because of the design of the incandescent light bulb.
People believe that incandescent light bulbs shouldn't be banned because they like the "warm light" it gives off but there's a solution to that, there are CFL light bulbs that give off the exact same light color as incandescent bulbs.
Another reason people complain about the CFL light bulbs is due to their shape. They think the shape is ugly unlike the incandescent light bulbs but I think that's a foolish reason. I believe it's foolish because you can't really tell the shape of a light bulb when its being used unless you stare at the light bulb, which isn't good for your eyes.
Finally, people buy them because they are cheaper when purchased at the store. These people don't look at the long term cost of the bulbs though. CFL light bulbs last about 5 times longer and use about 1/4 the energy. LED light bulbs last about 10 times linger and use 1/5 the amount of energy.
This is why I'm glad to find out that the incandescent light bulbs have been banned here in the USA now!