Below is a chart depicting various amounts of energy consumption by the average individual in Society? Notice that "space cooling," "water heating" and "lighting" segments contribute nearly 30% of all energy consumption in the household (Australian Energy Outlook 2006). This energy consumption however, is variable in nature. Lighting costs or space cooling costs are dependent primarily on individual preference and discipline. By simply turning off lights, or reducing the amount of time in the shower, individuals can significantly reduce excessive energy use. Through this practice, society can achieve a significant and sustainable reduction in energy use (Tester, 2005).

In addition to excessive use with automobiles, lighting, cooling, and CO2 emissions mentioned above, I think Society must commit to energy savings in a profound manner. This is my biggest opportunity in regards to excessive energy use. Many individuals simply are not committed to such behavior. Their activities regarding energy reflect this theory. Therefore, I believe it prudent for Society to make a conscious effort to reduce energy usage and dependency. This can be accomplished in a multitude of ways. First individuals can substitute their two car usage for one. Individuals can car pool to reduce CO2 emissions. This will ultimately reduce the maintenance costs and fees associates with excessive use of automobiles as well. Individuals, including myself, should commit to purchasing energy efficient light bulbs which save both energy and money (MacKay, 2008). As mentioned above, the main culprit for excessive energy in Society use is that of forgetting to turn off lighting fixtures. One method to alleviate this is by having energy efficient light bulbs in the even the lights do indeed remain on during extended periods of time. The chart above also indicated that 9% of energy use comes from appliances. The largest appliance consumer's use is computers and refrigerators. Little can be done in regards to refrigerators, however, computers can reduce energy consumption substantially with the use of it's "power save" feature. As a millennial generation, myself, along with others in my age cohort are prone to excessive computer usage. As such, the power save feature will also diminish the use of energy while the computer is not in use, saving both time and money (Smil, 2003).

Business, armed with this information can do numerous things to reduce global warming. First, they can become more energy efficient within the entire organization. Turing off lights...

Using emails and electronic documents can help reduce carbon and CO2 emissions. There are however, many pitfalls associated with this strategy. Currently, the infrastructure does not support electric cars and energy. There are very few charge stations for instance, around the world. In addition, alternative energy sources such as solar, wind, and hydro are in their infancy stages. The technology needed to sustain a growing population is far from complete. As such society must rely on minimizing wasteful use of energy that contributes to the overall global warming epidemic (Eva, 2011).
In conclusion, when reflecting on society energy use, excessive abuses are the first aspects that come to mind. Simply by using inefficient vehicles, leaving the water running, or not turning off light, all contribute to wasteful energy use. Furthermore, by not being proactive in the conservation of energy, society is in fact, contributing to its abuse. Features such as "powers save" computers and energy efficient light bulbs are not being utilized to the extent needed. As such, the problem of energy abuse, I fear, will continue.

Appendix

Survey

1) Is Global Warming real? If yes, how does it affect your community and society at large?

2) What are methods in which to mitigate global warming?

3) Are you willing to pay more for energy consumption even if it means reducing global warming?

4) How can business help prevent global warming?

5) Should business be concerned with global warming? If so, why?

6) Would you be more willing to buy from a company who is environmentally friendly even if you were paying more?

7) on a scale of 1 to 10, with ten being very important, how important is global warming to you as a consumer?