You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The graphs below show the percentage of household energy used and the amount of greenhouse gases produced in Australia. Summarise the information making comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.
Model Answer
The given pie charts compare the energy consumption for various domestic areas with the emission of greenhouse gases through these sources in Australia.
The most striking feature of the graph is that a fifth (20%) of energy is used for heating and cooling whereas the greenhouse gas emission through this is about two fifths (38%) which is just about double. Greenhouse gas emissions because of water heating is 25% which is also slightly more than the usage at 23%. The least amount of energy is used for cooking and for stand-by purposes. 5% energy is used for each of these two purposes. The emission of greenhouse gases is also approximately similar from both these sources at 4 and 3% respectively.
Approximately a tenth of the energy is used for lighting and a similar amount for refrigeration. However, these two areas are the most energy efficient as the greenhouse gas emission through both is 7%. Approximately a quarter of the energy is used for other appliances and the greenhouse gas emission through these is only 16% which is slightly over a fifth.
Overall it can be seen that heating and cooling contribute the most to global warming whereas cooking and standby appliances contribute the least.