What is more important to reduce our energy expenditures or to switch to sustainable technologies?

Question

It seems most American's don't really want to cut back on their lifestyle to cut energy usage but may be open to using more efficient technology and or sustainable energies.

America expends an exponential amount more of energy than any other nation in the world industrial or developing. It seems America's problem is not just the technology it choses to use but more so a moral dilemma.

I'm curious what other people who already acknowledge the reality of global warming think. A green dime for your thoughts.

Answer 1

Well, you have to do both! Right now, we are gradually switching to more sustainable energy sources. However, it's going tediously slowly because we are so dependent on fossil fuels and that most of the technology is insufficient to provide a substantial amount of energy. So in the time being, we must reduce our energy expenditures. As scientists continue to find new alternative energies with sufficiency, we need to reduce our use of energy to slow down carbon emissions.

Answer 2

Both unless you enjoy $4 a gallon for gas and inflation getting out of control.

Answer 3

I believe it will take a combination of both approaches to make any large scale effect on our future. Renewable energy sources can make a great difference in reducing pollution problems if we were to implement them on a large scale, and we have become a society of energy wasters, so reducing our current consumption by switching to CFL bulbs or higher effieciency appliances would do great things. In combination, those two are the answer.

Answer 4

Well, the truth is that both approaches are needed in order to curb global climate change.  In order to reduce our energy expenditures, we must do a better job of incorporating sustainable technologies into our lives.

Below are some of the links I've collected on sustainability research and programs:

Answer 5

Neither. We need to find more sources of oil and start drilling, duh!

Answer 6

Whatever they can do. If they won't cut back on their lifestyle, take whatever any solutions they might be willing to do.

The earth is dying, and it's already sending us big warnings, just take Hurricane Katrina as an example.

Whatever can be done, should be done.

Answer 7

Hi,

Well, I'm brazilian and I can say the sustainable technologies's more important, because here in brazil, there's many times ago, we're using alcohol in our cars, and actuality we're developing the "biodiesel", an alternative fuel to oil. This is an example only.

Really, nobody wants live without current lifestyle, but if not to cut this lifestyle, we need do sometimes for compensation. 'Cause our earth is suffering with current form that we've chosen to live.

Sorry, my english is not very well.

Answer 8

I think we need to do a combination of both.  We are using more energy then needed, but while reducing the amount of energy we need, we should be looking for a  more sustainable resource. And once we have found  a sustainable resource then we should have a deadline to switch everything over to it (cause if not we would procrastinate).

Answer 9

Nuclear power plants for electricity, dismantle all bio fuel plants and leave corn for people and animals to eat. Have all states, counties, and cities replace all of their traffic warning lights with LED's. That by itself would be more than 100,000 people could do if they tried to be 'green'.

Forty per cent of our electricty comes from coal burning plants. If they were all replaced with nuclear plants hundreds of thousands of children and adults would see their asthma symptoms disappear.

Answer 10

Both will be needed.  For instance, to achieve 75% reduction in fossil fuel consumption we can get half way there with greater efficiency, but we likely need to simply cut back on usage to get the rest of the way. Having cut back on usage, if sustainable energy allows it, we can use more. But we can live with energy usage close to world norms.

Answer 11

Reducing our useage while still relying on carbon based fuels to supply that energy will only make our costs for energy rise due to decreased resources.   Might as well switch now while we still have the supplies to make renewable energies with carbon based resources.

Answer 12

hmmm for the moment being is better to reduce energy expenditure, because sustainable technologies are not largely available and are very expensive. When technologies are made on a large scale then we should switch to sustainable technologies.

One way to reduce expenditures is for the government to build good i mean very good public transportation to reduce the amount of cars running. Like in Japan for example due to the density of the people living down there, people opt to use mass transportation. It saves them a looooot of money, they always get on time and the waiting lines are very short.

Answer 13

True...but it's a efficiency issue more the amount.