Energy is used by power plants to make electricity. It is also used when we drive cars, take airplanes, mow the lawn and cook our food. Many types of pollutants are produced by power plants. In San Diego County, both oil and gas are burned during the production of electricity. CO2 contributes to the global warming of the environment.
Particulates are small particles that can contribute to smog.
0.024 pounds of oxides of sulfur per megawatt-hour of electricity produced. Oxides of sulfur contribute to acid rain pollution. How much electricity does each student's family use each year. They can estimate this amount by multiplying their one month electricity usage by 12. In our example energy bill, the total electricity use was 647 kWh in one month.