How does wasting electricity cause climate change?

Question

How does wasting electricity cause climate change?

Answer 1

It doesn't.  Lights were shut off for 24 hours durring Earth Hour just to find out that lights have no impact of current consumption.

It's just symbolic, and a feel good thing.

Answer 2

By wasting electricity created by burning oil or coal you increase the carbon footprint.  If you use a different source such as solar panels at home than you would not be adding anything to the carbon footprint.

Answer 3

Because the utilities have to make more power than they otherwise would have to, because of the wasted power. duh.

Answer 4

Duuuh! Lets bury the next batch of spent plutonium rods in YOUR back yard! ;-(=

Answer 5

most power plants that produce electricity are run on coal.

Here in the west coast we use natural gas, nuclear, water, and wind.

Answer 6

Most electricity comes from power stations that run on fossil fuel.  The process of obtaining energy from fuel results in the emission of CO2 into our atmosphere.

There is about 30% more CO2 in the atmosphere now than before the industrial era.  And it is predicted that by the end of the century, the number will increase by another 30%.

The rising CO2, along with other greenhouse gases, is believed by many scientists to increase "radiative forcing" (how much sun radiation enters the atmosphere, versus how much gets back out).  This causes the planet to heat up.

The belief is, if we could be more efficient in our consumption of energy, our chemical emissions into the atmosphere would decrease, lowering our contribution to the [otherwise potentially natural process of] global warming.

Answer 7

Most electricity in North America is created using coal-fired powerplants. Wasting electricity means that coal was burned, putting carbon dioxide into the atmosphere which in turn exacerbated climate change, without a purpose (such as operating your TV or computer or whatever).