The Ability to do Work | Green Energy News

May 11, 2003 – Vol.8 No.7

THE ABILITY TO DO WORK.

One dictionary on this editor’s desk describes energy, in part, as oil. This is wrong, of course. Crude oil can be a source of energy, or perhaps stored energy, or maybe potential energy, but not energy in itself.

The best way to think of energy is perhaps the simplest description - having the ability to do work. Energy lights light bulbs, gets us to work on time, runs industrial equipment or helps us communicate, for example.

Looking at energy as having the ability to do work, we should want energy to do as much work for us as possible since we PAY for it. We should want the energy we buy to be productive, or conversely we should buy less energy to do the same amount of work. Increasing energy efficiency equals increases in energy productivity.

According to a new study from the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), the U.S. has been steadily increasing its energy productivity since 1975, and considering oil as a main source of energy for the U.S., has doubled its economic activity from each barrel of oil since then.

This sounds good. But the report claims that gains in energy efficiency need to be greater and ongoing, and that energy efficiency is a resource in itself. Continually tapping that resource - always increasing energy efficiency - will lead to more economic gains in the future.

RMI founder Amory Lovins the report’s author says, "Efficiency doesn’t require sacrifice, it makes money, it makes sense, and it’s the fastest, most powerful way we know of to shift to energy sources that can’t be shut off." For the full report U.S. Energy Security Facts visit RMI at http://www.rmi.org/