Blog

Sustainability

5 Tips for a More Sustainable Yard

Did you know that the type of lawn you have can contribute to global warming and significantly impact energy and water consumption? It’s true! From overwatering to using gas-powered lawn mowers and spraying chemical fertilizers, there are several ways in which your lawn care routine could wreak havoc on the environment. So what is there to do? When guests visit, your lawn is the first chance to make a first impression. Thankfully there is no need to stress; you can make many simple and easy changes to reduce your lawn’s effect on the environment while keeping it healthy and beautiful. Let’s dive in and explore some tips and tricks to help you create a beautiful, eco-friendly yard!

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Energy Education

The Power of Trees

Trees are incredibly important in the fight against climate change. They play a pivotal role in reducing the greenhouse effect by absorbing and storing carbon dioxide through photosynthesis. Through this process, trees help to reduce the number of greenhouse gasses that build up in the atmosphere, consequently mitigating the effects of climate change exponentially. In fact, trees are often even referred to as “carbon sinks” because of the incredible amounts of CO2 they can absorb and store throughout the course of their lives.

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Sustainability

Battling Food Waste in High-Rise Apartments

The challenges we face regarding access to food have evolved drastically from the occasional inconsistency of hunting and gathering to the laborious hours needed to maintain a farm to the modern-day hassle of finding time to go to the grocery store or get your food delivered to your door. Thanks to modern energy and revolutionary technological advances such as those that brought us the refrigerator, artificial preservatives, and genetically engineered or GMO crops, humanity has successfully created an international food system where people can happily indulge in their favorite meals from a comfortable distance, far from the source of the fruits, vegetables, meats, and grains that end up on their table. 

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Food

The Power of Growing a Food Garden 

Agricultural practices and food production have evolved from hunting and gathering and small-scale agricultural production to the massive high-yield food systems we see today. Thanks to modern energy, new technology, and scientific discoveries, we have succeeded in maximizing and modifying food production to fit people’s unique desires. Yet, not all is well in the food industry.

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Sustainability

World Water Day 2023

Water is essential to all life. We use it in our bodies to carry out cellular processes, in our land to grow food and raise livestock, and externally to keep ourselves and our surroundings sanitary. People lucky enough to live in a water-rich region are so accustomed to having water at arms reach 24/7 they often fail to see its unique value and lasting advantages. From agriculture and manufacturing to electricity and transportation, we need water for everything. So much so that steady access to clean, potable water can determine the prosperity of a community by facilitating gender equality, creating jobs, improving health, generating food, and allowing its members time to gain an education. 

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Energy Education

SEE Careers: Oil and Gas Field Inspector 

Knowing all of your options is critical when deciding what career to pursue. A college degree has been the obvious student choice for many years. However, increasing tuition rates and potential debt have made students take a step back. Attitudes surrounding college degrees are beginning to shift. Alternative career paths are not only available but in high demand. For those in high school searching for a great career, steady salary, an outdoor work environment, and a chance to make a positive impact, consider pursuing a career in the energy sector as an oil and gas field inspector. With the recent federal funding of the REGROW (Revive Economic Growth and Reclaim Orphaned Wells) Act, oil and gas field inspectors are in high demand to solve both the energy and environmental challenges of the country. A government job in regulatory oversight could provide a stable and well-paying position that could turn into a long-term career path. 

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Sustainability

The Fight Against Plastic in 2023

The Industrial Revolution brought about a sequence of events that dramatically changed the planet’s trajectory. After centuries of consistency, the days of monarchies, travel on horseback, and buying clothes strictly out of necessity slowly faded into the past. New technologies and the ability to use natural resources to maximize and produce energy made it possible for inventions like the steam engine, electric generators, and the incandescent lightbulb to bring humanity into a new age. In a short span, factories made it possible for clothing to be more accessible to the average person. Trains and then cars became standard methods of transportation. Suddenly, crops could be grown in abundance like never before. 

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Conservation

The Importance of Coral Reefs 

Coral reefs are often associated with white sandy beaches, uniquely patterned fish, and brightly colored corals just below the water’s surface. We think of corals as the finishing touch to a tropical paradise full of crystal-clear ocean water. But did you know that coral reefs are some of the most complex ecosystems on the planet? The many different types of corals that exist can be found in both shallow, clear water as well as murky, deep, cool water and are responsible for supporting the life of millions of organisms and marine life. In fact, scientists estimate that there are millions of undiscovered species that could be the key to the development of revolutionary medications for everything from cancer and viruses to bacterial infections. 

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The Smart Energy Education initiative will end on December 31, 2024. Dr. Michael E. Webber and Disco Learning Media would like to thank Itron and CPS Energy for their generous sponsorship and for helping The University of Texas at Austin provide energy and water education to over 300,000 students across the Greater San Antonio area since 2020. Thank you for joining us on this journey to create a more resourceful world. If you would like to continue learning more, please visit Watt Watchers of Texas, Resourcefulness, and Energy 101.