Bill Gates Comments on the Energy Crisis
Every now and then, I like to watch a few videos on TED.com. If you are unfamiliar with the site, it is dedicated to sharing inspirational ideas. Some of my favorites are from unlikely speakers such as this 12 year old talking about what adults can learn from children.
Bill Gates delivered a speech at the recent TED conference on “Innovating to Zero” – the idea that there are basically four variables in the energy equation — population, services requiring energy, amount of energy per service, and the CO2 being emitted per unit of energy. Bill makes a very simple but convincing argument – those first two variables are increasing, the third perhaps has some wiggle room for decreasing, but it is the fourth factor, CO2 emitted, that could really change the value of the entire equation.
As you think about your own energy footprint, I encourage you to start with an energy audit. How much energy are you using in your daily living? Is there room for improvement? These are questions that we can help you answer by quantitatively measuring the efficiency of your home using a range of tools such as a door blower and thermal imaging camera.
