How does wasting electricity affect the environment?

Answer 1

Using electricity has no direct impact on the environment and can be completely eco-friendly on a small scale. However it's how electricity is produced that is the problem. Electricity is produced by steam hitting a rotor blade which in term powers a generator which creates the electricity. To get the steam water must be heated often through the burning of fossil fuels e.g. coal or oil, this burning causes carbon dioxide (CO2) which can potentially cause global warming.

Wasting electricity means that more fossil fuel has to be burnt.

However wind turbines are eco-friendly and eliminate the need for steam as it relies on the wind to rotate the rotor's. However it is impracticable to have only wind turbines and so the old steam method is also needed to power homes and is still the most effective way of producing electricity. Anything else related to electricity or generators feel free to ask!
That depends on what type of generating station is involved in the creation of your power. Coal, which produces most of the world's power has byproducts that include sulfur dioxide which help cause the very real issue of acid rain.

Hydroelectric power kills fish. Wind energy kills birds and bats. Solar energy uses some VERY nasty gases in the creation of the panels, which end up in our atmosphere. Batteries end up in land fills full of lithium and other bad chemicals.

Every form of power creation has an issue. This ignores that much of the electric power you use also turns into heat. The bestthing we can do for our planet is to not waste energy of any form. Use what you need, but no more.