Basic forms of energy:radiant, chemical, thermal, mechanical, electrical.In Maori tradition, energy is an even broader concept - energy flows include the living vibrations of the land and its people, present and past.
Fossil fuels: solid coal, liquid oil and pockets of gas formed over hundreds of millions of years from ancient forests and peat swamps. Fossil are called non-renewable because once burnt, or used, they are gone for good.We may have already reached the point where annual world oil and gas demand has exceeded production, see website: www.peakoil.net
Our rate of fossil fuel use in transport, electricity generation and industrial processes has grown rapidly, and with it our CO2 emissions.
Energy use in New Zealand
NZ electricity generation - hydro-power is largest proportion. There's also geothermal steam, gas andcoal. However, the % of our electricity being generated by burning fossil fuels is increasing.The largest contributor to carbon dioxide emissions from NZ households is the oil & petrol use in vehicles.
The Far North Environment Centre offers a personal home consultation to find new ways to save on your household power bill and assess your ecological footprint - see Sustainable Living Activation.
