With Earth Day just around the corner and the national average gas price now exceeding $4 per gallon, we thought it would be a good time to brush up on our energy knowledge. This 10-question multiple-choice quiz serves to do just that, with questions ranging from energy efficiency and clean energy to ways that you can start conserving energy in your home right away.
- What percentage of total energy use in the 美国 is supplied by forms of renewable energy?
- A. 5%
- B. 12%
- C. 23%
- D. 35%
2. In the typical home, what is responsible for the largest amount of energy consumption?
- A. 照明
- B. 烹饪
- C. Space heating (heating the house itself)
- D. Water heating (for showers and laundry)
- E. 电子设备
3. 太阳能, geothermal, wind, biomass, and hydropower are considered renewable because they:
- A. Can be converted directly into heat and electricity
- B. Are replenished by nature in a relatively short amount of time
- C. 免费使用
- D. 不产生污染
4. Approximately how much energy from a coal-burning power plant actually gets converted into electricity?
- A. 一个季度
- B. 三分之一
- C. 一半
- D. 三个季度
5. Of the following, the most impactful action you can take to reduce your carbon footprint is:
- A. Turn off lights when not in use
- B. Drive a hybrid or electric car
- C. 吃植物性饮食
- D. 风干你的衣服
6. Which of the following laundry strategies saves the most energy?
- A. 洗满衣服
- B. Using high-efficiency detergent
- C. 晾衣服
- D. 冷水洗涤
7. What energy saving method could save you the most on your heating and cooling bills?
- A. Turning back your thermostat 7 to 10 degrees for 8 hours a day
- B. 密封不受控制的空气泄漏
- C. Swap LEDs for incandescent bulbs in the five lamps you use the most
- D. Lower the temperature of your 水 heater by a few degrees
8. Compared to people in many developing countries, Americans use about
- A. 两倍的能量
- B. 十倍的能量
- C. 一半的能量
- D. 50倍的能量
9. Which country gets the highest percent of its energy from clean sources?
- A. 德国
- B. 美国
- C. 冰岛
- D. 加拿大
10. Which renewable energy source provides the most energy in the US?
- A. 风
- B. 太阳能
- C. 地热
- D. 更加充分的燃料
有趣的事实：改用风力发电, 水, and solar energy worldwide could eliminate 4 to 7 million deaths caused by air pollution every year.
答案:
- 截至2020年，这一数字为12.4% of US energy use is supplied by renewable energy sources. This includes biomass, hydropower, wind, solar, and geothermal. 78.5% of the US energy supply comes from fossil fuels, while 8.9%来自核能.
- Space heating accounts for approximately 43% of energy consumption in the typical American home, 其次是水加热, 然后空调.
- 可再生能源, often referred to as clean energy, comes from natural sources or processes that are constantly replenished. 例如, sunlight or wind keep shining and blowing, even if their availability depends on time and weather.
- Most coal-fired power stations are no more than 37% to 38% efficient. More than 60% of the energy used for the generation of electricity from coal is lost in the conversion process.
- The meat and dairy industries use one-third of the Earth’s fresh 水. A single quarter-pound hamburger requires 460 gallons of 水 to produce – the equivalent of 30 showers.
- Clothes dryers are exceptionally energy-hungry appliances, and consume more electricity than even an inefficient washing machine, which makes line-drying an easy way to cut back on your energy use.
- Sealing uncontrolled air leaks, particularly around doors and windows, is easy to do and can save as much as 10% to 20% on your energy bill.
- The average American uses 50 times more energy than the average person in a developing country.
- 冰岛 generates 100% of their energy from renewable sources, with 73% derived from hydropower and 27% from geothermal.
- 现在已经超过了45个,000 wind turbines in the 美国, generating enough energy to power 15 million homes.
关键的外卖
- 仅仅一个小时, the sun provides enough solar energy to supply the entire planet with electricity for a full year.
- The Nobel Prize for the discovery of the photoelectric effect (which led to the development of solar panels) was awarded to Albert Einstein in 1921.
- Although the 美国 is one of the top three oil consuming countries in the world, it is ultimately a net exporter of refined petroleum products.
