New report tracks consumer trends over past 40 years
By Luke Whitmore, 2nd July 2010
The amount of energy used for household lighting and electric
appliances has increased by 155% since the seventies, a new report
by the Office for National Statistics has established.
Social Trends 40, which was published by the ONS today, states
that in 2007 the equivalent of 6.8 million tonnes of oil was used
to power lighting and appliances - compared to the 2.7 million
tonnes which was used back in 1970.
The increase in usage is mostly put down to the widespread
adoption of household devices such as personal computers,
microwaves and sound systems.
Overall domestic energy consumption in the UK rose by 24%
between 1970 and 2008. In 1970, 39% of energy came from coal - but
that amount had dropped to a mere 1% by 2008. Gas has taken up the
burden, with a share of just 24% of energy supplies in 1970 which
rose to 68% by 2008.
During 2007, 16% of electricity in the European Union came from
renewable sources, say figures from Eurostat - the top user of
renewable energy being Austria with 60%, with the UK coming
18th out of 27 with 5%. Cyprus and Malta placed last,
with neither country producing any electricity through renewable
sources.
Social Trends 40 also reports on the level of air pollution
within the UK. In 2008, carbon monoxide emissions have fallen 71%
from the amount in 1970 - from 9.8 to 2.8 million tonnes annually.
The same timeframe has seen a 92% drop in sulphur dioxide emissions
- from 6.4 to 0.5 million tonnes - and a 53% reduction in the
amount of nitrogen oxide released - from 3.0 to 1.4 million
tonnes.
The report also covers a wide variety of other social trends
within the UK over the past 40 years.
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