Sharing the planet

The conversion and transfer of different forms of energy (change)

The global use of renewable and nonrenewable energy (perspective)

The impact of energy use (Responsibility)

Green Power Switch: Solar Power

If you've every spent the day working or playing in the summer sun, you know the sun gives off an incredible amount of energy. Solar power collects the sun's rays and turns them into electricity. It is an environmentally friendly and renewable energy resource. Solar power production does not pollute the air, water, or land. Scientists are still trying to figure out how we can harness the sun's energy. Although sun and wind are free, right now the technology to capture their energy is more expensive than traditional methods.

Play Power Up!

Wind turbines and solar panels help light up this town. Move the wind turbines up or down. In a windy spot, they will catch the wind and turn faster. Put the solar panels into a sunny place. They won't get energy under cloud cover or in the rain. See if you can light up all of the windows in all of the houses before time runs out. Most electricity in the U.S. comes from coal, but wind and sunlight are cleaner sources of energy.

Green Energy: Facts

Energy is needed to move things, warm them, or light them up. Explore the difference between light and heat energy. Fossil fuels, like oil and coal, come from dead plants and animals that were buried long ago. Renewable energy comes from the sun, wind, moving water, or heat deep inside the Earth. Green energy is renewable and doesn't cause pollution. Learn about energy from the ocean or trash. Hydropower comes from rivers, but tidal power comes from the sea. Dead trees and leftover crop parts can be turned into biomass.

Renewable and Nonrenewable Energy

Some sources of energy are renewable, while others are not. Once we use up the coal and oil that we find, we will run out. We can't make more fossil fuels. They are non-renewable. Electricity today mostly comes from fossil fuels, but they won't last. The sun, wind, and waves are renewable energy sources. They will not run out and do not produce greenhouse gases. Other renewable energy sources include geothermal power and biomass energy.

Renewable Energy

Renewable energy is energy that can be replaced. Some renewable energy sources are the sun, water, and wind. Geothermal energy is a renewable energy source from the Earth's core. Biomass energy is a renewable energy from plants and animals. The demand for renewable energy is high, due to the fact that non-renewable energy sources such as oil and coal will eventually be depleted. You can learn more about the different renewable energy sources by clicking onto each source listed on this page.

Renewable Fuels

Fossil fuels cause pollution and will run out. There are alternatives to fossil fuels for making electricity. Some of them are renewable. Hydroelectric power plants get their energy from running water. Windmills get energy from moving air. Geothermal energy comes from hot water or steam deep inside the Earth. Solar cells can be used to collect the energy of sunlight. We can also harness energy from ocean tides or make fuel from plant material or animal wastes.

Renewable Energy

Renewable energy means the resources are replaced in nature and won't cause pollution. The five types of renewable energy are wind, water, solar, biomass, and geothermal. Wind farms and windmills can create electricity. Water in a river can spin turbines in an electric generator; it's called hydro power. Biomass energy uses natural materials like switchgrass, manure, and trash to make electricity. Geothermal energy is not used to make electricity, but can be used to heat homes, or cool them in the summertime. Glass panels can capture solar power to heat homes too.

Save The World

Find out how turbines and generators work to produce alternative energy. Discover the parts of a generator and how electrical induction works. After you learn the steps of power generation, you can use an interactive map to try to solve the world's energy crisis. Underwater turbines can capture tidal power. Dams combined with gravity can be used to produce hydroelectric power. Choose the best places to add wind turbines, solar panels, and geothermal power collectors. Learn more about each type of alternative energy.

Simple Physics Solutions to Storing Renewable Energy

A solar eclipse can cause big problems for people who use solar power. In Germany, power companies spent months preparing for not only the drop in solar power during a solar eclipse, but the surge that would come after. Research scientists are looking for optimum ways to store energy for when sun and wind are not available. In Germany, they are looking to turn a coal mine into a giant battery. Find out how they will make this work. In California, there is the Advanced Rail Energy Storage. The electric motors on the train turn into generators, and recharge the battery when they go downhill. Read about the innovation of a new company called LightSail Energy.

Go Beyond Oil (Greenpeace UK Campaign)

Although man has discovered many ways to harness energy throughout history, the discovery of a huge reservoir of oil at Spindletop, Texas in 1901 began the oil age. Oil took the place of coal in most forms of transportation, and the practice spread around the world. The use of oil provided huge benefits to our world, but the insatiable dependence on it has taken a toll on the environment. Using fossil fuels at the current rate could cause a catastrophic 6-degree rise in temperature, so Greenpeace International encourages everyone to go beyond oil to seek green energy.

Renewable and Non-Renewable Sources

The United Kingdom is aiming to reduce its use of non-renewable resources. In order to do this, they need to educate the public, particularly kids, so that kids are more environmentally aware. This means learning to use more renewable resources for energy such as water, solar and wind power. Non-renewable fuels are made by dead animals and plants decomposing in the ground over millions of years and cannot be replaced quickly. They form gases, liquids (oil), and solids (coal). Burning these fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide into the air, causing pollution and a rise in global temperatures.

Energy

The world is relying on non-renewable resources more and more to run homes, cities, and industries. Non-renewable resources, called fossil fuels, were animals and plants once upon a time. Subjected to pressure, chemical change, and time in billions of years, they became oil, coal, and natural gas. Because the amount available in the earth is finite, we will not be able to rely on them forever. A chart gives you information on where the fuel is from, and the advantages and disadvantages of using it. Find out how long each might last. Learn how renewable resources compare to non-renewable resources.