Energy efficiency 
Overview and health risks

Energy Efficiency is Good For the Environment and You

Using energy efficient appliances and making your home energy efficient translates into greater protection for the environment…and monetary savings for you. One-third of the electricity used in the United States is consumed in our homes. Refrigerators alone use the equivalent of the output of about 20 large nuclear power plants, which is nearly 5 percent of the nation’s total electricity consumption. So, we as families can do much to reduce energy usage nationwide.

While it may not seem like it at first, this really does have a direct connection with keeping toxins out of our children’s lives. Most of the major forms of energy production in this country have some sort of toxic emissions or byproduct. Nuclear reactors obviously produce radioactive waste. Fossil fuels are burned in everything from coal-fired power plants to car engines to produce energy, and they produce any number of airborne emissions. And the list goes on. 

The truth is, we haven’t come very far yet in terms of using renewable and environmentally friendly forms of power generation. So anything we can do to reduce the energy output to our homes, the better off we are.

The subtopic links will help you learn more about what you can do.