10 Quick Facts about energy

1.In India, the Ganges river was used for transportation in ancient times but nowadays it is an important source of hydroelectric power.

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2.Only 10% of energy in a light bulb is used to create light. Ninety percent of a light bulb’s energy creates heat. Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), on the other hand, use about 80% less electricity than conventional bulbs and last up to 12 times as long.

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3.Refrigerators in the U.S. consume about the same energy as 25 large power plants produce each year.

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4.The amount of energy Americans use doubles every 20 years.

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5.About 5,000 years ago, the energy people consumed for their survival averaged about 12,000 kilocalories per person each day. In AD 1400, each person was consuming about twice as much energy (26,000 kilocalories). After the Industrial Revolution, the demand almost tripled to an average of 77,000 kilocalories per person in 1875. By 1975, it had tripled again to 230,000 kilocalories per person.

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6.The world’s biggest blackout occurred on August 14, 2004, when a massive power outage occurred across the northeastern U.S. and throughout Ontario, Canada, affecting 50 million people.

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7.From 2008 to 2030, world energy consumption is expected to increase more than 55%.

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8.Google accounts for roughly 0.013% of the world’s energy use. It uses enough energy to continuously power 200,000 homes.

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9.The United States produces half of its electricity from coal. China uses coal to generate more than three-fourths of its electricity. Australia, Poland, and South Africa produce an even greater percentage. Overall, coal makes up 2/5 of the world’s electricity generation.

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10.Ten countries produce 2/3 of the world’s oil and hold the same percentage of known reserves. Saudi Arabia tops both lists.