![]() Other waste streams include food waste, municipal solid waste, agricultural waste (manure), wastewater, and flue gases. More than half of that energy-about 62 EJ (59 quads)-enters the atmosphere as waste heat from smokestacks and tailpipes or the hydrosphere as warmed water from power plants. The United States consumes about 105 Exajoules (EJ) (about 100 quads or quadrillion British thermal units (Btu)) of energy each year. Inefficiencies are simultaneously a vexing problem and an enticing opportunity for the global energy system. ![]() The second law of thermodynamics manifests as inefficiencies, losses, and waste streams during energy conversion, such as waste heat, lost fuel, or suboptimal operation of systems. The tea cools while the room warms very slightly. For example, a cup of hot herbal tea cools when left alone in a house at room temperature as heat from the tea flows to the room around it. Similarly, heat flows from a higher to a lower temperature. A burning kitchen match releases about 1 Btu of energy.
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