Abundance? no, strive to use the minimum
The Institute of Chemical Engineers' advice to its members is to be conscious about using the minimum of a substance. And we layfolk could do more for the environment by embracing minimalism
Cup of tea anyone?
Consider the simple example of boiling water to make a single cup of tea. There is a minimum amount of energy required to raise the temperature of a fixed volume of water from ambient to 100°C at atmospheric pressure, but how close are we to achieving the minimum?
Upstream there is energy associated with collecting, treating and pumping water to our location. There are different ways to provide the heat energy: grid electricity, gas, coal, wood, solar. Each has different energy losses associated with them. How effcient is the device for converting supplied energy into boiling water? How easy is it to boil more water than required? How easy is it to extend the heating time beyond the required minimum? On the downstream side, what energy is required to treat any wasted tea poured into the drain? What energy is needed to clean the cup? This is before considering the tea bag and any milk or sugar. Do you really need that cup of tea?