Reducing The Global Energy Sustainability - 1110 Words

Introduction Reducing the carbon footprint or lessening the human impact on the earth has only become increasingly popular as societies are now striving towards environmental sustainability. One of the major drivers towards sustainability is to reduce the global dependency on non-renewable resources such as coal, oil, and natural gases. At the current rate in which the world population is expanding, along with the progressively quicker depletion of the world’s non-renewable energy resources, the current energy situation is not sustainable for future generations. There are practices in place to promote alternative renewable energy sources sector such as wind, solar, or tidal power to ensure sustainability. However, in ensuring the global†¦show more content†¦As the city of Edmonton grows, there will be a necessity for more roads and associated infrastructure to accommodate its expansion. With a larger number of street light installations, the city will experience great er energy demands. The LED pilot project which has already been initiated has installed LED street lighting into various areas and neighborhoods within Edmonton. By converting to LED lights instead of the usual HPS lights as the preferred street light, the city is expecting to see a considerable reduction in electricity usage. According to GRAH Lighting (n.d.), â€Å"LED street lights use 40-80% less electricity and have at least 5 times the life expectancy than regular High Pressure Sodium (HPS) fixtures† (para. 22). As Edmonton is committed to sustainable practices, it must be willing to change over to more environmentally sources of street lighting. Governments must be proactive and act fast to convert ideas of sustainability into actions (Alberta, 2008, p. 10). By making environmental conscious choices, the city is leading by example for the battle against climate change and aiming for sustained environmental preservation. Awareness In order for the LED pilot project to become a reality, Edmonton must make certain that its residents are welcoming of the change in street lighting. There may be opposition to these changes as the existing HPS light fixtures as well as the bulbs will need to be