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instant access to thousands of great kids books.

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Instantly access 40,000 high-quality books for kids

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The leading digital library for kids offering unlimited access to 40,000 of the best children's books of all time. Sign up for a free 30 day trial to instantly access high-quality online books for kids, ebooks, audio books, quizzes, videos, and more.

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Share: " How polluted is the air today? Check out the real-time air pollution map, for more than 100 countries. "

The GAIA air quality monitoring stations are using high-tech laser particle sensors to measure in real-time PM2.5 pollution, which is one of the most harmful air pollutants.

Very easy to set up, they only require a WIFI access point and a USB power supply. Once connected, air pollution levels are reported instantaneously and in real-time on our maps

About the Air Quality Levels

To know more about Air Quality and Pollution, check the wikipedia Air Quality topic or the airnow guide to Air Quality and Your Health.

For very useful health advices of Beijing Doctor Richard Saint Cyr MD, check www.myhealthbeijing.com blog.

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Real-time air pollution index for 100+ countries

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Share: " How polluted is the air today? Check out the real-time air pollution map, for more than 100 countries. " The GAIA air quality monitoring stations are using high-tech laser particle sensors to measure in real-time PM2.5 pollution, which is one of the most harmful air pollutants.

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Read Energy from the Sun: Solar Power on Epic

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Epic reaches 75 million kids in class and after school.

Built on a collection of 40,000+ popular, high-quality books from 250+ of the world's best publishers, Epic safely fuels curiosity and reading confidence for kids 12 and under.

Get Started

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online access fun thousands children great kids ebooks books

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Read Energy from the Sun: Solar Power on Epic

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Epic reaches 75 million kids in class and after school. Built on a collection of 40,000+ popular, high-quality books from 250+ of the world's best publishers, Epic safely fuels curiosity and reading confidence for kids 12 and under. Get Started

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Fun Kids - the UK's children's radio station

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Is geothermal renewable? What is geothermal energy? And how is geothermal energy generated?

Here's the need-to-know stuff about the energy source, geothermal energy!

Description

The centre of the Earth is extremely hot - around 6000oC. Some of this heat rises up to heat rocks nearer the surface.

Where can you find geothermal energy?

Geothermal plants can be found wherever very hot rocks can be found near the surface, for example in the United States, New Zealand, Iceland and Japan. There is one small geothermal power plant in the UK, in Southampton.

How is it made into electricity?

Holes are drilled down to hot rocks - sometimes thousands of metres below the surface.

Water is then pumped down to the rock, where it is heated and turned into steam. This steam is then drawn up to the surface and used to propel the blades of a turbine. This is attached to a generator, which produces electricity!

What are the advantages of using geothermal energy?

It is a renewable source of energy, which means that it will not run out!

No fuel is needed, so once the geothermal plant is built the running costs of producing electricity are relatively low.

Once built, geothermal plants do not produce air pollution and do not contribute to the greenhouse effect.

The power stations do not take up much room.

What are the disadvantages of using geothermal energy?

The right geographical location is needed, where suitable hot rocks are within drilling depth. Not many of these exist in the UK.

Sometimes the heat source can 'dry up' if too much heat energy is extracted.

Hazardous gases and minerals can be brought up which need to be safely disposed of.

Click here for more energy facts!

We've got a whole series about energy, electricity, and power generation! It's called Curious Kate, and you can listen to it below!

EXPLORE THIS SERIES

Podcasts

Podcasts

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Geothermal: Energy Source Fact File! - Fun Kids - the UK's children's radio station

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Here's the need-to-know stuff about the energy source, geothermal energy! Description The centre of the Earth is extremely hot - around 6000oC. Some of this heat rises up to heat more "

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People have created different a number of different ways to capture energy from the wind, sun and Earth. Renewable energy sources include solar energy, wind energy, geothermal energy, biomass energy, hydroelectric energy and more.

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Climate change describes a change in the average conditions in a region over a long period of time.

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All the machines of modern life require energy to make them run. About 90 percent of that energy comes from burning fossil fuels. Fossil fuels include petroleum (oil), coal,...

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Get access to files anywhere through secure cloud storage and file backup for your photos, videos, files and more with Google Drive.

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0. Generating energy from the wind (pre- prefix)

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Most non-renewable energy sources are fossil fuels: coal, petroleum, and natural gas. Carbon is the main element in fossil fuels. For this reason, the time period that fossil fuels formed (about 360-300 million years ago) is called the Carboniferous Period.

All fossil fuels formed in a similar way. Hundreds of millions of years ago, even before the dinosaurs, Earth had a different landscape. It was covered with wide, shallow seas and swampy forests.

Plants, algae, and plankton grew in these ancient wetlands. They absorbed sunlight and created energy through photosynthesis. When they died, the organisms drifted to the bottom of the sea or lake. There was energy stored in the plants and animals when they died.

Over time, the dead plants were crushed under the seabed. Rocks and other sediment piled on top of them, creating high heat and pressure underground. In this environment, the plant and animal remains eventually turned into fossil fuels (coal, natural gas, and petroleum). Today, there are huge underground pockets (called reservoir s) of these non-renewable sources of energy all over the world.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Fossil fuels are a valuable source of energy. They are relatively inexpensive to extract. They can also be stored, piped, or shipped anywhere in the world.

However, burning fossil fuels is harmful for the environment. When coal and oil are burned, they release particles that can pollute the air, water, and land. Some of these particles are caught and set aside, but many of them are released into the air.

Burning fossil fuels also upsets Earth's " carbon budget," which balances the carbon in the ocean, earth, and air. When fossil fuels are combusted (heated), they release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is a gas that keeps heat in Earth's atmosphere, a process called the " greenhouse effect." The greenhouse effect is necessary to life on Earth, but relies on a balanced carbon budget.

The carbon in fossil fuels has been sequestered, or stored, underground for millions of years. By removing this sequestered carbon from the earth and releasing it into the atmosphere, Earth's carbon budget is out of balance. This contributes to temperatures rising faster than organisms can adapt.

Coal is a black or brownish rock. We burn coal to create energy. Coal is ranked depending on how much " carbonization" it has gone through. Carbonization is the process that ancient organisms undergo to become coal. About 3 meters (10 feet) of solid vegetation crushed together into .3 meter (1 foot) of coal!

Peat is the lowest rank of coal. It has gone through the least amount of carbonization. It is an important fuel in areas of the world including Scotland, Ireland, and Finland.

Anthracite is the highest rank of coal. Anthracite forms in regions of the world where there have been giant movements of the earth, such as the formation of mountain ranges. The Appalachian Mountains, in the eastern part of the United States, are rich in anthracite.

We mine coal out of the ground so we can burn it for energy. There are two ways that we can mine coal: underground mining and surface mining.

Underground mining is used when the coal is located below the surface of the Earth, sometimes 300 meters (1,000 feet) deep-that's deeper than most of the Great Lakes! Miners take an elevator down a mineshaft. They operate heavy machinery that cuts the coal out of the Earth and brings it above ground. This can be dangerous work because cutting coal can release dangerous gases. The gases can cause explosions or make it hard for miners to breathe.

Surface mining is used when the coal is located very near the surface of the earth. To get to the coal, companies must first clear the area. They take away the trees and soil. The coal can then be cut out of the ground more easily. Entire habitats are destroyed during this process.

About half the electricity in the United States comes from coal. It gives power to our lights, refrigerators, dishwashers, and most other things we plug in. When coal is burned, it leaves " byproduct s" that are also valuable. We use the byproducts to make cement, plastics, roads, and many other things.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Coal is a reliable source of energy. We can rely on it day and night, summer and winter, sunshine or rain, to provide fuel and electricity.

Using coal is also harmful. Mining is one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. Coal miners are exposed to toxic dust and face the dangers of cave-ins and explosions at work.

When coal is burned, it releases many toxic gases and pollutants into the atmosphere. Mining for coal can also cause the ground to cave in and create underground fires that burn for decades at a time.

Petroleum is a liquid fossil fuel. It is also called oil or crude oil.

Petroleum is trapped by underground rock formations. In some places, oil bubbles right out of the ground. At the LaBrea Tar Pits, in Los Angeles, California, big pools of thick oil bubble up through the ground. Remains of animals that got trapped there thousands of years ago are still preserved in the tar!

Most of the world's oil is still deep under the ground. We drill through the earth to access the oil. Some deposits are on land, and others are under the ocean floor.

Once oil companies begin drilling with a "drill rig," they can extract petroleum 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Many successful oil sites produce oil for about 30 years. Sometimes they can produce oil for much longer.

When oil is under the ocean floor, companies drill offshore. They must build an oil platform. Oil platforms are some of the biggest manmade structures in the world!

Once the oil has been drilled, it must be refined. Oil contains many chemicals besides carbon, and refining the oil takes some of these chemicals out.

We use oil for many things. About half of the world's petroleum is converted into gasoline. The rest can be processed and used in liquid products such as nail polish and rubbing alcohol, or solid products such as water pipes, shoes, crayons, roofing, vitamin capsules, and thousands of other items.

Advantages and Disadvantages

There are advantages to drilling for oil. It is relatively inexpensive to extract. It is also a reliable and dependable source of energy and money for the local community.

Oil provides us with thousands of conveniences. In the form of gasoline, it is a portable source of energy that gives us the power to drive places. Petroleum is also an ingredient in many items that we depend on.

However, burning gasoline is harmful to the environment. It releases hazardous gases and fumes into the air that we breathe. There is also the possibility of an oil spill. If there is a problem with the drilling machinery, the oil can explode out of the well and spill into the ocean or surrounding land. Oil spills are environmental disasters, especially offshore spills. Oil floats on water, so it can look like food to fish and ruin birds' feathers.

Natural gas is another fossil fuel that is trapped underground in reservoirs. It is mostly made up of methane. You may have smelled methane before. The decomposing material in landfills also release methane, which smells like rotten eggs.

There is so much natural gas underground that it is measured in million, billion, or trillion cubic meters.

Natural gas is found in deposits a few hundred meters underground. In order to get natural gas out of the ground, companies drill straight down. However, natural gas does not form in big open pockets. Natural gas is trapped in rock formations that can stretch for kilometers.

To reach natural gas, some companies use a process called "hydraulic fracturing," or fracking. Hydraulic means they use water, and fracturing means to "split apart." The process uses high-pressure water to split apart the rocks underground. This releases the natural gas that is trapped in rock formations. If the rock is too hard, they can send acid down the well to dissolve the rock. They can also use tiny grains of glass or sand to prop open the rock and let the gas escape.

We use natural gas for heating and cooking. Natural gas can also be burned to generate electricity. We rely on natural gas to give power to lights, televisions, air conditioners, and kitchen appliances in our homes.

Natural gas can also be turned into a liquid form, called liquid natural gas (LNG). LNG is much cleaner than any other fossil fuels.

Liquid natural gas takes up much less space than the gaseous form. The amount of natural gas that would fit into a big beach ball would fit into a ping-pong ball as a liquid! LNG can be easily stored and used for different purposes. LNG can even be a replacement for gasoline.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Natural gas is relatively inexpensive to extract, and is a "cleaner" fossil fuel than oil or coal. When natural gas is burned, it only releases carbon dioxide and water vapor (which are the exact same gases that we breathe out when we exhale!) This is healthier than burning coal.

However, extracting natural gas can cause environmental problems. Fracturing rocks can cause mini-earthquakes. The high-pressure water and chemicals that are forced underground can also leak to other sources of water. The water sources, used for drinking or bathing, can become contaminated and unsafe.

Other Non-renewable Energy Sources

Fossil fuels are the leading non-renewable energy sources around the world. There are others, however.

Nuclear energy is usually considered another non-renewable energy source. Although nuclear energy itself is a renewable energy source, the material used in nuclear power plants is not.

Nuclear energy harvests the powerful energy in the nucleus, or core, of an atom. Nuclear energy is released through nuclear fission, the process where the nucleus of an atom splits. Nuclear power plants are complex machines that can control nuclear fission to produce electricity.

The material most often used in nuclear power plants is the element uranium. Although uranium is found in rocks all over the world, nuclear power plants usually use a very rare type of uranium, U-235. Uranium is a non-renewable resource.

Nuclear energy is a popular way of generating electricity around the world. Nuclear power plants do not pollute the air or emit greenhouse gases. They can be built in rural or urban area s, and do not destroy the environment around them.

However, nuclear energy is difficult to harvest. Nuclear power plants are very complicated to build and run. Many communities do not have the scientists and engineers to develop a safe and reliable nuclear energy program.

Nuclear energy also produces radioactive material. Radioactive waste can be extremely toxic, causing burns and increasing the risk for cancers, blood diseases, and bone decay among people who are exposed to it.

Biomass energy relies on biomass feedstocks-plants that are processed and burned to create electricity. Biomass feedstocks can include crops such as corn or soy, as well as wood. If people do not replant biomass feedstocks as fast as they use them, biomass energy becomes a non-renewable energy source.

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Most non-renewable energy sources are fossil fuels: coal, petroleum, and natural gas. Carbon is the main element in fossil fuels. For this reason, the time period that fossil fuels formed (about 360-300 million years ago) is called the Carboniferous Period. All fossil fuels formed in a similar way.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many planets does it take to support your lifestyle?
Try our new Footprint Calculator at www.footprintcalculator.org to find out your Ecological Footprint and personal Earth Overshoot Day and learn about solutions to help us all tread more lightly on the Earth.

Please see our Having trouble accessing our new Footprint calculator?
troubleshooting tips for more information.

Are you a student or educator using our calculator?
If so, please share your experience using the calculator by emailing media@footprintnetwork.org. We are collecting stories for a campaign for phase two of our mobile-friendly version of the calculator, which includes plans for an administrator platform for teachers.

Why are my results on your new calculator different from the previous calculator?
Our former calculator was several years old. Global Footprint Network updates its data and methodology every year. Our new calculator features our latest data and methodology and will be much easier to update each year.

The Calculator is currently available in Chinese, English, French, German, Hindi, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish. To create country-specific calculators, Global Footprint Network works with local partners to gather regional data on resource consumption. Global Footprint Network is inviting corporate, government, and NGO partners to help us add additional cities, countries and languages to our new calculator. Please Why can't I choose my country and language on your new calculator?
contact us if you would like more details.

Please see the More questions about your Footprint?
Footprint Calculator Frequently Asked Questions.

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Footprint Calculator - Measure your Impact - Global Footprint Network

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Use our Footprint calculator to find out what your biggest areas of resource consumption are and learn how to tread more lightly on the Earth.

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Solar power projects confront habitat impact

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Why renewables can’t save the planet | Michael Shellenberger | TEDxDanubia

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Monica Araya: A small country with big ideas to get rid of fossil fuels

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How do we build a society without fossil fuels? Using her native Costa Rica as an example of positive action on environmental protection and renewables, climate advocate Monica Araya outlines a bold vision for a world committed to clean energy in all sectors.

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David MacKay: A reality check on renewables

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How much land mass would renewables need to power a nation like the UK? An entire country's worth. In this pragmatic talk, David MacKay tours the basic mathematics that show worrying limitations on our sustainable energy options ... and explains why we should pursue them anyway.

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Scroll down to Energy, you can see how many days are left with each type of non-renewable energy source

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World Population:

reached 8 billion on November 15, 2022 according to the latest United Nations estimates.

is projected to reach 9 billion in 2037, and 10 billion in 2058.

has doubled in 40 years from 1959 (3 billion) to 1999 (6 billion).

is currently (2023) growing at a rate of around 0.88% per year, adding around 70 million people per year to the total.

growth rate reached its peak in the late 1960s, when it was at 2.09%.

growth rate is currently declining and is projected to continue to decline in the coming years (reaching below 0.50% by 2048, reach 0 in 2086, and decline by -0.11% in 2100) .

a tremendous change occurred with the industrial revolution: whereas it had taken all of human history up to the year 1800 for world population to reach 1 billion, the second billion was achieved in only 130 years (1930), the third billion in 30 years (1960), the fourth billion in 15 years (1974), the fifth billion in 13 years (1987), the sixth billion in 11 years (1998), the seventh billion and eighth billion in 12 years each (2010 and 2022). During the 20th century alone, the population in the world has grown from 1.65 billion to 6 billion.

Sources for the world population counter: For more detailed information:

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Worldometer - real time world statistics

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Live world statistics on population, government and economics, society and media, environment, food, water, energy and health. Interesting statistics with world population clock, forest loss this year, carbon dioxide co2 emission, world hunger data, energy consumed, and a lot more

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Instantly access over 40,000 of the best books & videos for kids on Epic

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Get unlimited access to 40,000 of the best books, audiobooks, videos, & more for kids 12 and under. Try it free.

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Epic reaches 75 million kids in class and after school.

Built on a collection of 40,000+ popular, high-quality books from 250+ of the world's best publishers, Epic safely fuels curiosity and reading confidence for kids 12 and under.

Get Started

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online access fun thousands children great kids ebooks books

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Epic reaches 75 million kids in class and after school. Built on a collection of 40,000+ popular, high-quality books from 250+ of the world's best publishers, Epic safely fuels curiosity and reading confidence for kids 12 and under. Get Started

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
instant access to thousands of great kids books.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Instantly access 40,000 high-quality books for kids

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The leading digital library for kids offering unlimited access to 40,000 of the best children's books of all time. Sign up for a free 30 day trial to instantly access high-quality online books for kids, ebooks, audio books, quizzes, videos, and more.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
instant access to thousands of great kids books.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Instantly access 40,000 high-quality books for kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The leading digital library for kids offering unlimited access to 40,000 of the best children's books of all time. Sign up for a free 30 day trial to instantly access high-quality online books for kids, ebooks, audio books, quizzes, videos, and more.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
instant access to thousands of great kids books.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Instantly access 40,000 high-quality books for kids

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The leading digital library for kids offering unlimited access to 40,000 of the best children's books of all time. Sign up for a free 30 day trial to instantly access high-quality online books for kids, ebooks, audio books, quizzes, videos, and more.

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https://www.getepic.com/book/30482509/wind-at-work-an-activity-guide-to-windmills?utm_source=t2t&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=content&share=35153513188

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Read Wind at Work: An Activity Guide to Windmills on Epic

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Epic reaches 75 million kids in class and after school.

Built on a collection of 40,000+ popular, high-quality books from 250+ of the world's best publishers, Epic safely fuels curiosity and reading confidence for kids 12 and under.

Get Started

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online access fun thousands children great kids ebooks books

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Read Wind at Work: An Activity Guide to Windmills on Epic

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Epic reaches 75 million kids in class and after school. Built on a collection of 40,000+ popular, high-quality books from 250+ of the world's best publishers, Epic safely fuels curiosity and reading confidence for kids 12 and under. Get Started

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Instantly access over 40,000 of the best books & videos for kids on Epic

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Get unlimited access to 40,000 of the best books, audiobooks, videos, & more for kids 12 and under. Try it free.

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What makes cars go? Fossil fuels! What lights up gas grills and stoves? Fossil fuels! What’s non-renewable and really bad for the environment? You know…

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Negative Effects of Solar Energy _ Sciencing

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The world has been relying on oil, coal, and natural gas as the main sources of electricity for over 150 years. We prepared an easy guide with everything kids need to know about fossil fuels, from what types there are to their detrimental effects on our planet. -
Fossil fuels are used to produce the electricity we need to run most machines of modern life. From heating our homes to fueling cars, about 80% of the world's energy currently comes from fossil fuels. These energy sources are not renewable, meaning that once we use them up, they are gone forever.

Like fossils, they are the remains of organisms like plants, animals, and other living things that lived millions of years ago. Once dead, these organisms sank into the ground and were slowly covered by many layers of rock. Over the centuries, their remains changed in form, turning into different kinds of fossil fuels as we know them today. In order to release the energy stored inside them, fossil fuels are mined and burned.

3 Types of Fossil Fuels
1. Oil
Oil comes from microscopic organisms such as algae. It is often reached in places under the oceans using drills and oil rigs and it makes its way up to the surface through pipes. Oil is used to make gasoline for vehicles and heating systems and it is also used to manufacture common products such as paints and a lot of cosmetics, from lip balms to eyeliners!

Extracting oil from the ground and transporting it poses major environmental threats. are a recurring event. When oil is dispersed in the environment, it pollutes oceans, wetlands, freshwater sources, and other ecosystems and often puts even human health at risk.
Check This Out Next: 2. Coal How Do Oil Spills Affect the Environment?
Coal was formed from layers of dead plants over the course of millions of years. After being extracted from the earth, coal is burned at power stations to generate electricity and it is also used to produce plastics, fertilisers, and some medicines.
3. Natural Gas
Coal mining is an extremely harmful process as it disturbs the land and affects biodiversity. The burning process generates a variety of air pollutants that harm humans and the environment. Moreover, the ash that is created through coal combustion is extremely toxic and, when dispersed in the atmosphere, it pollutes waterways.

Similar to oil, natural gas also comes from microscopic organisms such as algae. It is a mixture of different gases - the main one being methane - that formed beneath the Earth's surface over millions of years and it is mainly used to heat buildings and water, provide outdoor lighting, dry clothes and cook. Natural gas is extracted from underground through a process called hydraulic fracturing, or fracking .

Despite leading to fewer emissions than coal, the process of generating electricity from natural gas is still responsible for the release of a lot of toxic gases into the atmosphere. One of them is methane, which is 25 times as potent as carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere.

Why Are Fossil Fuels So Bad for the Environment?

As countries burn fossil fuels to generate electricity, they release immense quantities of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane. These stay in the atmosphere, trapping heat from the sun and leading to global warming .

According to scientists, the earth's average surface temperature has increased by 1C (1.8F) in the last 150 years, with over half of the rise occurring since the mid-1970s. Although this doesn't sound like a lot, this seemingly small increase in the average global temperature has a huge impact on weather patterns and wildlife around the world!

Do We Have Alternatives?

Absolutely! Fossil fuels are not the only way we have to generate electricity. Cleaner technologies such as renewable energy can support a more sustainable energy system without emissions. The world is finally investing in these infinite sources of energy and today, of the global electricity is generated from renewables such as solar, wind, hydroelectric, and geothermal power.

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Fossil Fuels Explained to Kids - Earth.Org Kids

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We prepared an easy guide with everything kids need to know about fossil fuels, from what types there are to their detrimental effects on our planet.

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Learn why burning fossil fuels can cause our climate to change and how kids can help slow Earth's warming.
Click here for a downloadable and printable version
Fossil fuels are made from ancient (millions of years old) plants and animals that are buried hundreds and even thousands of feet deep into our Earth. These fuels were once alive! Oil and natural gas were created from organisms that lived in the water and were buried under oceans or rivers. Heat, pressure, and bacteria combined to compress and "cook" the organic material under layers of silt. In most areas, a thick liquid called oil formed first but in deeper hot regions underground the cooking process continued until natural gas was formed. Coal was formed from dead trees, ferns and other plants that lived 300 to 400 million years ago, even before dinosaurs.

How do we use fossil fuel energy? Do they hurt Earth?

Right now most of our energy used to run trucks, cars, and factories, heat or cool our buildings is fossil fuel energy. As of 2013 people on Earth are using over 90 million barrels of oil each day. This has been increasing every year. Below are examples of how using fossil energy hurts Earth's land, air, water and living creatures.

1. To remove fossil fuel energy from Earth, we have to drill, mine or frack (break) the Earth. Next, we have to refine (make ready) the energy so that we can use it in our cars, factories and more. These activities can harm our planet by polluting our land, air, and water.
2. Next, we have to move this coal, oil or gas to where we need to use it like to gas stations or power plants. This means using trains and trucks that can spill, explode or crash. Pipelines can leak into earth or water. Coal has to be dug out of deep mines and that can be dangerous.
3. Burning fossil fuels throughout the world releases millions of tons of carbon dioxide (C02) into the air and this causes global warming. You can see from the chart above that carbon dioxide is the major source of greenhouse gas released into the air. We can all do something about this problem of too much CO2 in the air

Kids Can Help Burn Fewer Fossil Fuels!

Start by printing out this To help the Earth, some things a kid can do alone but some things they should do with an adult. Talk with an adult like your teacher or your parent and decide together what you will do to help slow the C02 that comes from burning fossil fuels.
together to complete listed items on the chart and below. Tune Up the Earth Challenge. Then work

Idling uses lots of fossil fuel! 1. Be sure you have the right amount of air in your family's car tires. It's really hard to ride a bike when the tires are low. It takes a lot more of your energy. The same goes when car tires are low. It takes more gas to drive it. Keep tires filled with their recommended amount of air. The car will burn less gas.
pollution and can use less gas.
2. Remind adults to keep their cars tuned up. The cars will create less safe.
3. Walk and bike to school or to see your friends whenever possible and
winter.
4. Turn off the lights in your home and bedroom. "No Idling Campaign" for buses. 5. With adult permission, turn up the AC in summer and turn down the heat in the 6. Talk with the school principal and get permission to start a
Recycle, compost, and learn how and why in Teaching Grownups.
Plant trees and/or create a backyard habitat. This will help absorb the CO2 created by burning fossil fuels.

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Burning Fossil Fuels - Kids for Saving Earth

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Learn why burning fossil fuels can cause our climate to change and how kids can help slow Earth's warming. Click here for a downloadable and printable version Fossil fuels are made from ancient (millions of years old) plants and animals that are buried hundreds and even thousands of feet deep into our Earth.

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Renewable Energy 101: How Does Geothermal Energy Work?

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Newsela | Instructional Content Platform

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Newsela is an Instructional Content Platform that supercharges reading engagement and learning in every subject.

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The truth about wind turbines - how bad are they?

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Why Wind Farms Are Bad for the Environment

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Newsela | America’s windiest spot looks to harness ocean winds

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While offshore wind is still in its infancy here in the U.S., it is booming in the U.K. And the Brits want to help us kick-start the movement — starting in Massachusetts.

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Kids learn about geothermal energy and how this renewable power can help the environment. Teach students about heat pumps and electric plants.

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Kids learn about wind energy and how this renewable power can help the environment. Teach students about turbines that generate electricity from wind.

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Kids learn about biomass energy and how this renewable power can help the environment. Teach students about biodiesel, ethanol, and methane gas.

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Kids learn about solar energy and how this renewable power can help the environment. Teach students about solar cells and using the sun for heat.

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Kids learn about hydropower energy and how this renewable power can help the environment. Teach students about biodiesel, ethanol, and methane gas.

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Many stoves and home furnaces burn a fuel called natural gas. Natural gas is really a mixture of several different gases that formed slowly beneath Earth's surface. How...

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Properties and Characteristics:

Natural gas is a gas, not a liquid or a solid , and it is lighter than air.

It is also colorless and odorless, so the odorant, mercaptan is added for safety to help detect leaks.

Another property of natural gas is that it is combustible (it burns).

Quick Facts:

Natural gas is a nonrenewable energy source; we only have a certain amount here on E arth.

Once it's gone, it's gone. It is a fossil fuel, which is a source of chemical potential energy . I t has the potential to do work or cause change and is just waiting to be released.

Of our fossil fuels, (coal, oil and natural gas) natural gas burns the hottest, the brightest and the cleanest. So it is a good source of energy to use in our homes.

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Properties and Characteristics: Natural gas is a gas, not a liquid or a solid , and it is lighter than air. It is also colorless and odorless, so the odorant, mercaptan is added for safety to help detect leaks. Another property of natural gas is that it is combustible (it burns).

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Read Earth's Energy Resources: Natural Gas Energy on Epic

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Read Earth’s Energy Resources: Natural Gas Energy on Epic

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Instantly access Earth’s Energy Resources: Natural Gas Energy plus over 40,000 of the best books & videos for kids.

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Fossil Fuels for Kids | Learn all about fossil fuels, what they are, and where they come from

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Climate change is the process of the Earth heating up. It describes the changes in conditions such as weather, temperature, and rainfall over a long period of time. After years of observing the planet, scientists have discovered that one of the major consequences of climate change is global warming - the warming of the Earth's surface. They estimate that human activities have caused the planet to warm by 1°C since the Industrial Revolution that started in 1760. While it might not sound like much, this is a very important issue for us and wildlife all around the world. We prepared an easy guide on climate change for kids.
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Why is The Earth Getting Warmer?

The Earth is surrounded by a layer of gas, called the atmosphere. When sunlight enters the atmosphere, some of the sun's heat is reflected from clouds and the atmosphere, while most of it is absorbed by the Earth's surface, which makes the Earth warm enough to live on.

However, climate experts believe that human activities are the main causes of Earth's warming. When it is summertime, we turn on the air conditioner. When we want to go from one place to another, we burn fuel to power cars and buses. When factories make products like toys and phones, toxic materials are burned, releasing huge amounts of gases such as carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere. These gases are called greenhouse gases .

These toxic gases absorb heat by trapping a lot of sunlight. This increases the Earth's average temperature, which changes its climate. In fact, the past five years have been the warmest in centuries.

What are the Effects of Climate Change?
Melting Icebergs and Rising Sea Levels
About 20 000 years ago, large areas of Asia, Europe, and North and South America were covered with huge sheets of ice, each many kilometres thick. As the Earth's temperature increases, icebergs are melting, causing the sea level of the entire planet to rise. Some experts believe that by the end of the century, the global sea level will rise by a few meters! Such a rise will cause widespread flooding of low-lying coastal areas and threaten many large cities. Rising sea levels is the reason Indonesia is moving its capital city- the current one is sinking .

Today, the only ice sheets are found around Antarctica and the Arctic Ocean. Scientists predict that the major icebergs are melting more rapidly. Some satellite images show that unusually large chunks of sea ice have been melting during the Arctic summer- summers here might have no ice at all by 2050! Melting of floating ice is an important environmental change. Since ice sheets help cool the Earth and reflect sunlight like a mirror, the disappearing ice makes major changes to the climate. Wildlife living in the polar regions might also be pushed into extinction.
Worsening Natural Disasters
Warmer air caused by an increase in global temperatures can hold more water vapour than cooler air. When storms are ready to release water vapour in the form of rain, they have more to use, leading to heavier rainfalls.

As surface temperatures continue to rise, oceans will get warmer, causing larger storms, longer droughts, and larger wildfires. This is why Australia's recent bushfire season in late 2019 and early 2020 was the worst season ever recorded, killing more than 33 people and burning down more than 2000 houses.

What Can We Do to Stop Climate Change?

In our daily lives, we use electricity all the time, but to make electricity, dirty fuels, like coal, gas and biomass, are often used. These are fuels that release greenhouse gases, which is what causes climate change to happen much faster!

Luckily, not all power plants cause pollution. Some power plants use renewable energy. That means they are not burning fossil fuel to generate energy, but are using nature to make energy . This energy is not harmful to the environment and is always available. Governments should be generating power from this kind of energy instead of harmful fossil fuels.

Hydro power plants get power from water. When water held on top of a huge dam is released, water runs through the dam and spins the blades of the turbines. The turbines are connected to a generator that makes electricity as it spins. Similarly, wind power plants get power from fast-moving wind that rushes past windmills.

Solar power plants get energy from sunlight. Some people even have solar panels on the roofs of their houses.

We can also help slow down climate change by conserving energy in our everyday life. At home, we can take shorter showers and turn off the lights when we leave the room. To save manufacturing energy, we could recycle more. Outside , we can walk or bike more often.

We should also encourage our friends, family and other people to save energy. This way, we could really make a difference and stop climate change and global warming!
Check This Out Next: Reducing Emissions: What is the Paris Agreement?

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Climate Change for Kids - Earth.Org Kids

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Climate change is the process of the Earth heating up. It describes the changes in conditions such as weather, temperature, and rainfall over a long period of time. After years of observing the planet, scientists have discovered that one of the major consequences of climate change is global warming - the warming of the Earth's surface.

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What makes cars go? Fossil fuels! What lights up gas grills and stoves? Fossil fuels! What’s non-renewable and really bad for the environment? You know…

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What’s Good and What’s Bad about Hydropower

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From generating electricity to growing crops, dams have proven to be one of the most useful innovations in human history. Find out how these simple structures accomplish so much.

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Fossil Fuels  | Types and Formation | Video for Kids

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instant access to thousands of great kids books.

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Read Burning Out: Energy from Fossil Fuels on Epic

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Instantly access Burning Out: Energy from Fossil Fuels plus over 40,000 of the best books & videos for kids.

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instant access to thousands of great kids books.

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Instantly access 40,000 high-quality books for kids

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The leading digital library for kids offering unlimited access to 40,000 of the best children's books of all time. Sign up for a free 30 day trial to instantly access high-quality online books for kids, ebooks, audio books, quizzes, videos, and more.

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Instantly access over 40,000 of the best books & videos for kids on Epic

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Get unlimited access to 40,000 of the best books, audiobooks, videos, & more for kids 12 and under. Try it free.

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Newsela | Instructional Content Platform

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Newsela is an Instructional Content Platform that supercharges reading engagement and learning in every subject.

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Newsela | Instructional Content Platform

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Newsela is an Instructional Content Platform that supercharges reading engagement and learning in every subject.

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Hydroelectricity is electricity that is made by the movement of water. It is usually made with dams that block a river to make a reservoir or collect water that is pumped there. When the water is "let go", the huge pressure behind the dam forces the water down pipes that lead to a turbine. This causes the turbine to turn, which turns a generator which makes electricity. This use of renewable energy produces less pollution than steam engines do. Some places such as Norway and Quebec get most of their electricity this way.

Hydroelectric power plants

Generating methods

Conventional (dams)

Most hydroelectric power comes from the potential energy of dammed water driving a water turbine and generator. The power extracted from the water depends on the volume and on the difference in height between the source and the water's outflow. This height difference is called the head. A large pipe (the "penstock") delivers water from the reservoir to the turbine.

Pumped-storage

This method produces electricity to supply high peak demands by moving water between reservoirs at different elevations. At times of low electrical demand, the excess generation capacity is used to pump water into the higher reservoir. When the demand becomes greater, water is released back into the lower reservoir through a turbine. Pumped-storage schemes currently provide the most commercially important means of large-scale grid energy storage and improve the daily capacity factor of the generation system. Pumped storage is not an energy source, and appears as a negative number in listings.

Run-of-the-river

Run-of-the-river hydroelectric stations are those with small or no reservoir capacity, so that only the water coming from upstream is available for generation at that moment, and any oversupply must pass unused. A constant supply of water from a lake or existing reservoir upstream is a significant advantage in choosing sites for run-of-the-river. In the United States, run of the river hydropower could potentially provide 60,000 megawatts (80,000,000 hp) (about 13.7% of total use in 2011 if continuously available).

A tidal power station makes use of the daily rise and fall of ocean water due to tides; such sources are highly predictable, and if conditions permit construction of reservoirs, can also be dispatchable to generate power during high demand periods. Less common types of hydro schemes use water's kinetic energy or undammed sources such as undershot water wheels. Tidal power is viable in a relatively small number of locations around the world. In Great Britain, there are eight sites that could be developed, which have the potential to generate 20% of the electricity used in 2012.

Sizes, types and capacities of hydroelectric facilities

Large facilities

Large-scale hydroelectric power stations are more commonly seen as the largest power producing facilities in the world, with some hydroelectric facilities capable of generating more than double the installed capacities of the current largest nuclear power stations.

Although no official definition exists for the capacity range of large hydroelectric power stations, facilities from over a few hundred megawatts are generally considered large hydroelectric facilities.

Currently, only four facilities over () are in operation worldwide, see table below.

Small hydro is the development of hydroelectric power on a scale serving a small community or industrial plant. The definition of a small hydro project varies but a generating capacity of up to 10 megawatts (MW) is generally accepted as the upper limit of what can be termed small hydro. This may be stretched to 25 MW and 30 MW in Canada and the United States. Small-scale hydroelectricity production grew by 28% during 2008 from 2005, raising the total world small-hydro capacity to . Over 70% of this was in China (65 GW), followed by Japan (3.5 GW), the United States (3 GW), and India (2 GW).

Small hydro stations may be connected to conventional electrical distribution networks as a source of low-cost renewable energy. Alternatively, small hydro projects may be built in isolated areas that would be uneconomic to serve from a network, or in areas where there is no national electrical distribution network. Since small hydro projects usually have minimal reservoirs and civil construction work, they are seen as having a relatively low environmental impact compared to large hydro. This decreased environmental impact depends strongly on the balance between stream flow and power production.

Micro hydro is a term used for hydroelectric power installations that typically produce up to of power. These installations can provide power to an isolated home or small community, or are sometimes connected to electric power networks. There are many of these installations around the world, particularly in developing nations as they can provide an economical source of energy without purchase of fuel. Micro hydro systems complement photovoltaic solar energy systems because in many areas, water flow, and thus available hydro power, is highest in the winter when solar energy is at a minimum.

Pico hydro is a term used for hydroelectric power generation of under . It is useful in small, remote communities that require only a small amount of electricity. For example, to power one or two fluorescent light bulbs and a TV or radio for a few homes. Even smaller turbines of 200-300W may power a single home in a developing country with a drop of only 1 m (3 ft). A Pico-hydro setup is typically run-of-the-river, meaning that dams are not used, but rather pipes divert some of the flow, drop this down a gradient, and through the turbine before returning it to the stream.

Underground

An underground power station is generally used at large facilities and makes use of a large natural height difference between two waterways, such as a waterfall or mountain lake. An underground tunnel is constructed to take water from the high reservoir to the generating hall built in an underground cavern near the lowest point of the water tunnel and a horizontal tailrace taking water away to the lower outlet waterway.

Advantages of hydroelectricity

The way the electricity is produced does not harm the environment as much as fossil fuels like oil or coal do. Hydroelectricity is very powerful and safe, and produces no waste.

Hydroelectricity can be made very quickly. This makes it useful for times when demand for electricity is high. Water that has been stored in a reservoir can be released (let go) when needed, so the energy can be made quickly. This controllability also makes hydroelectricity a good match for less controllable intermittent energy sources. When the wind is not blowing or the sun is not shining, hydroelectricity can be released.

Another advantage is that hydroelectricity cannot run out as long as there is a good water supply. Once the dam is built, the electricity costs very little, no waste or pollution is produced, and electricity can be generated whenever it is needed.

A few hydro turbines do not have a dam but instead use the current of the "run of the river". They produce less electricity and cannot store energy for later use.

Disadvantages of hydroelectricity

The building of large dams to hold water can damage the environment. In 1983, the Australian government stopped the Tasmanian state government from building a dam on the Gordon River in Tasmania after a huge public protest. The dam would have flooded the beautiful Franklin River. The Three Gorges Dam in China will be the world's largest hydroelectricity project. The dam has flooded a huge area, meaning that 1.2 million people have had to be moved. Scientists are concerned about many problems with the dam, such as pollution, silt, and the danger of the dam wall breaking.

Images for kids

The Three Gorges Dam in Central China is the world's largest power-producing facility of any kind.

Museum Hydroelectric power plant ″Under the Town″ in Serbia, built in 1900.

The Warwick Castle water-powered generator house, used for the generation of electricity for the castle from 1894 until 1940

The Ffestiniog Power Station can generate of electricity within 60 seconds of the demand arising.

Merowe Dam in Sudan. Hydroelectric power stations that use dams submerge large areas of land due to the requirement of a reservoir. These changes to land color or albedo, alongside certain projects that concurrently submerge rainforests, can in these specific cases result in the global warming impact, or equivalent life-cycle greenhouse gases of hydroelectricity projects, to potentially exceed that of coal power stations.

The Hoover Dam in the United States is a large conventional dammed-hydro facility, with an installed capacity of .

Trends in the top five hydroelectricity-producing countries

In Spanish: Hidroelectricidad para niños

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Hydroelectric power, also called hydropower, is the process of using the energy of moving water to create electricity. The water cycle and gravity come into play when it comes to moving water, so teachers can tie this article to those studies.

People have harnessed the energy from water for thousands of years. For example, we know that more than 2,000 years ago, people used water wheels to grind corn and wheat. Tidal water and river water were both used to power water wheels, which were connected to other wheels and gears to power millstones and sawmills. It was in the mid-1770s when a French engineer named Bernard Forest de Bélidor described the first modern turbine. The turbine pretty much took the place of the water wheel and was eventually involved in almost every kind of electrical power.

The new invention inspired engineers to come up with a plan to create a lot more energy from water using water turbines. The theory was to build a dam on a large river, one that has a large drop in elevation. The dam stores water in a reservoir behind it. There is a water intake close to the bottom of the dam that leads to a penstock, which is a channel for conveying water. Gravity causes the water to drop down the penstock where it heads through a turbine propeller. The turbine is turned by the moving water, causing it to produce mechanical energy, just as the water wheel did. The mechanical energy in this case is kinetic energy (the energy of motion). That energy goes into a generator, where it is converted into electricity. Power lines carry the electricity to where it is needed. The plan worked. Hydroelectric power systems at dams could soon generate enough electricity to power factories, communities, cities, and eventually, entire regions.

As of 2014, according to the Business Council for Sustainable Energy, the U.S. has over 100,000 megawatts of conventional hydropower. 1 megawatt is enough to power about 1,000 homes, so this would be enough electricity to supply 75-101 million homes. While that's only about 7 percent of the country's total electricity generation from all energy sources, the amount accounts for about 52 percent of the renewable electricity generation.
It's pretty easy to see the *pros* when it comes to hydropower:

It only requires moving water in order to work.

It is considered to be a green source of energy. It does not pollute itself. Only the construction of power plants can be potential sources of pollution.

It is a domestic source of energy.

It is a renewable resource.

It is the most affordable cost of power when spread out over the system's lifetime costs.

It is reliable. As long as there is water, electricity can be generated.

It is flexible. Water flow can be adjusted and even conserved according to the need for power.

It is safe! Compared with the use of fossil fuels and nuclear energy, hydropower is a much safer system.

There also some *cons* when it comes to hydropower:

There are numerous environmental consequences of damming water, flooding entire areas, creating massive reservoirs, changing water flow, blocking the natural course of rivers, and constructing power lines and roads.

There are only a limited number of places where these power plants can be built.

The initial expense is huge (though comparatively, so are other energy resources)

Lack of water. Droughts have a serious impact on how much hydropower can be produced.

Many of the negative impacts of hydropower center on what the damming of rivers does to the native plants and animals in the waterways that are affected. For instance, sediments build up behind dams, triggering oxygen-starved zones that can't support river life. Water temperature changes can also make survival difficult. Riparian channels and estuaries are also negatively affected.

One problem of major concern is the survival and passage of migratory native fish. Fish ladders have been installed next to dams and their designs have been improved over the years to make it somewhat easier for fish to migrate upstream where they will spawn. But the populations of native fish in the Pacific Northwest and other areas have drastically declined since rivers were dammed up to manufacture electricity.

Political pressure is building in some areas to give stronger consideration to the impact hydroelectric dams have on the ecosystem. Hundreds of hydroelectric dams have been removed in recent years, including the Elwha River project in Washington. It was determined that the small amount of energy these dams produced was not worth the damage being done to the environment.
Discussion and Research Projects:

Hydropower sounds like an excellent source for alternative energy! But the impact it has on the environment is important, too. Discuss the pros and cons presented here, and challenge students to come up with possible solutions. They should be armed with more information than we had room to include in this article.

Trace the history of hydroelectric energy in the world. Create a timetable that highlights the important discoveries.

Where are all the hydropower plants in the world today?

What is happening in areas where the dams have been torn down? Has it helped the environment? Where do people get their energy now?

How do people make use of other alternative energy resources - not just water, but solar, wind, wave, and geothermal?

Activity: How does hydropower work? Build a small waterwheel!
There are lots of designs for a simple waterwheel out there, most using cardboard, straws, and paper cups.
Here's a video showing a water wheel built from a pie tin and "other easy to find parts." Here's a more sophisticated design along with a nice lesson plan from the Maine Energy Education Curriculum:

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What's Good and What's Bad about Hydropower? - Kids Discover

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Hydroelectric power, also called hydropower, is the process of using the energy of moving water to create electricity. The water cycle and gravity come into play when it comes to

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If you've ever stood in a fast-moving stream, under a waterfall, or on the ocean shore as waves come crashing in, then you've felt the power of the water. The energy from moving water can be used to create electricity in several different ways. For example:

A hydroelectric dam captures energy from the movement of a river. Dam operators control the flow of water and the amount of electricity produced. Dams create reservoirs (large bodies of calm water) behind them, which can be used for recreation, wildlife sanctuaries, and sources of drinking water.

Wave power captures energy from waves on the surface of the ocean using a special buoy or other floating device.

Tidal power captures the energy of flowing waters with the help of turbines as tides rush in and out of coastal areas.

How It Works

Cool Facts

A natural wonder! Did you know that one of the world's great natural wonders has been generating electricity for more than 100 years? Today, Niagara Falls is the biggest electricity producer in New York State, generating enough electricity to light 24 million 100-watt bulbs at once!

Leading the way. Hydropower is the leading renewable energy source used to generate electricity in the United States.

Wave of the future. The first commercial U.S. power station using ocean waves to generate electricity is in the works in Oregon. When finished, 10 "powerbuoys" in the ocean will generate enough electricity to power 1,000 homes.

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If you've ever stood in a fast-moving stream, under a waterfall, or on the ocean shore as waves come crashing in, then you've felt the power of the water. The energy from moving water can be used to create electricity in several different ways.

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As we come to terms with our need to transition to a renewable energy future, humanity is looking to alternative energy sources to power our way of life. As it will be very challenging to find a single alternative energy source replacement that can meet all of our many energy needs in the same fashion as fossil fuels have done, the future of our energy supply will likely include a variety of alternative energy sources.

Biomass energy is likely to be one of them.

Did you know these biomass energy facts?

#1 Renewable source of energy

Biomass energy is a form of renewable energy. Plants, for instance, can be regrown to provide a renewable source of biomass for energy.

#2 Long history

Biomass energy has been used by humans for most of our history on the Earth, with the burning of wood and other biological materials for heat and cooking purposes.

#3 Many diverse sources

Many different sources of biomass can be used for energy, including woody materials such as dead trees, branches, wood chips, and tree stumps, yard clippings, hemp, sorghum, sugarcane, bamboo, agricultural waste, human waste, switchgrass and municipal solid waste.

#4 Still in use

Bioenergy currently meets about 10% of human energy needs around the world [1].

#5 Ethanol production

Ethanol is produced through the fermentation of biomass that is high in carbohydrates, such as sugarcane, wheat, or corn.

#6 The largest ethanol producers

As of 2012, Brazil and the United States were the largest producers of ethanol and biodiesel in the world [2].

#7 Energy from algae

Algae biomass can be used for energy. Algal-based fuels can be produced five to ten times faster than many forms of land-based agriculture like corn and soy.

Biofuels such as ethanol, butanol, methane, biodiesel and hydrogen can all be produced through the fermentation of algae.

#8 Potential to be carbon neutral

When approached sustainably, biomass energy from plants has the potential to be carbon-neutral. This is because the plants that are used for biomass energy have stored carbon during their life-cycle.

Although this biomass releases some carbon when it is burned as fuel, there is the sequestration of carbon as a new biomass crop is grown.

Fossil fuels do not offer this advantage of re-absorbing carbon, they only release it.

#9 Energy from human waste

Penn State University researchers have produced a human waste-powered generator. It can produce 51 kilowatts of energy from the waste of 100,000 people [3].

#10 The largest biomass power plant

The largest biomass power station in the world in Finland produces a maximum of 265 MW of power, and produces heat for the nearby town of Jakobstad [4].

#11 Growing importance

Biomass as an energy source is expected to increase as the human population increases and energy demand increases, and as fossil fuels are depleted. This is especially expected to occur in developing countries.

#12 Less polluting than coal

Biomass energy does not produce sulfur or mercury emissions, and produces much less nitrogen than coal does.

This means that biomass energy reduces acid rain, smog and other pollutants in the air when compared to coal [5].

#13 Beneficial for soils

Unlike traditional row crops like corn and soy, switchgrass and other sustainably managed energy crops can reduce erosion, reduce nitrogen runoff into waterways, and increase the total amount of carbon in the soil [5].

#14 Biofuel future

Aggressive development of advanced sustainable biomass energy and other biofuels could help the U.S. and other countries to produce the equivalent of fuel that is imported from the Persian Gulf.

By making automobiles more fuel-efficient and by increasing the use of plug-in hybrid vehicles, biofuels could potentially eliminate the need for gasoline [5].

#15 Sustainability certification

The Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels (RSB) developed a global sustainability standard for biomass in 2011.

This standard is a rigorously-tested independent certification that incorporates the sustainability of environmental, cultural, and social elements of the biomass energy production process.

#16 Cost minimization

The cost of biomass energy could be reduced to five cents per kilowatt hour as high-tech gasification systems are improved [5].

#17 Sustainable future

Farming developments will lead to innovative and sustainable growing methods for the production of biomass crops that increase yields, improve degraded soils, and protect ecosystems [5].

#18 Fast growing varieties

Fast-growing tree species are being considered for biomass crop production, such as poplar and eucalyptus trees, as well as grasses such as switchgrass and alfalfa [5].

#19 Electricity and heating

Biomass can produce biogas fuel like methane that can be used to power and heat homes.

Methane can be produced from biomass resources such as animal waste and landfills.

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Interesting Facts About Biomass Energy | Greentumble

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As we come to terms with our need to transition to a renewable energy future, humanity is looking to alternative energy sources to power our way of life.

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The energy that holds together the nucleus of an atom is called nuclear, or atomic, energy. Atoms are the basic building blocks of matter. The nucleus is the central part of...

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When we talk about nuclear energy, we refer to the energy that is concentrated in the centre (or nucleus) of an atom. This is used around the world to create electricity. Here's a simple guide to nuclear energy for kids, covering what it is, what it is used for, how it is produced as well as some of its main advantages and disadvantages.
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What is Nuclear Energy and What is It Used For?

Nuclear energy is the energy found the nucleus (core) of atoms - tiny particles that make up every object in the universe. There is enormous energy in the bonds that hold atoms together. To make electricity, energy must be released from these atoms. This can be done in two ways : nuclear fusion and nuclear fission.

During 'nuclear fission', atoms are broken apart and the energy stored in their core (or nucleus) is released. Whenever energy is released, it turns to heat, which eventually boils water and produces steam. The steam turns huge turbine blades, which drive generators that make electricity. Afterward, the steam is changed back into water and cooled down. The water can be used again and again. Additionally, nuclear-generated energy releases no carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. \

Nuclear fission releases a lot of energy. For example, the fission of as little as 0.5kg of uranium produces an amount of energy equivalent to burning 3,000 tons of coal!

In the process of 'nuclear fusion', instead, energy is released when atoms are combined or fused together to form a larger atom. This is how the sun produces energy.

A nuclear reactor is the machine in a power plant where fission takes place. Currently, uranium is the most common chemical element used as fuel in nuclear power plants for nuclear fission since its atoms are easily split apart. D uring this process, tiny pieces of uranium get stacked up in long metal tubes, which form the core of the reactor. These rods are held under water to keep them cool and if they get too hot, they melt, causing radioactive material to be released. Radiations are extremely toxic and dangerous to humans and the environment.

Because uranium is a non-renewable resource, we will eventually run out of this type of fuel.

What is Nuclear Energy Used For?

Today, nuclear energy provides about 10% of the world's electricity, which can be used to power homes, schools, businesses, and hospitals.

However, we can also use it to create extremely dangerous and destructive nuclear weapons, also known as atomic bombs. The two most famous examples are the atomic bombs dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during the Second World War, which killed and maimed hundreds of thousands of people. Because of the toxic radiations that atomic bombs release, their effects are still being felt today.

Because nuclear fuel can be used to create nuclear weapons as well as nuclear reactors, only nations that are part of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) - an international treaty that entered into force in 1970 - are allowed to import uranium or plutonium, another nuclear fuel. The treaty promotes the peaceful use of nuclear fuel, as well as limiting the spread of nuclear weapons.
Check This Out Next: Fossil Fuels Explained to Kids
Is Nuclear Power Safe?

This question has been asked for many years. Nuclear power is very efficient; one small piece of uranium can produce as much electricity as 150 gallons of oil. Many see nuclear power as an alternative and clean energy source that could help us reach net-zero emissions in the future, but renewable sources such as solar and wind energy are far less dangerous.

Nuclear power plants must be taken care of properly to avoid a meltdown. The radioactive waste that is produced must be stored carefully so that it does not come into contact with the outside environment. In fact, any material that becomes contaminated can remain radioactive for thousands of years! Most nuclear fuel is stored underwater, but a few reactors store the older and less radioactive fuel in storage facilities located outdoors, protecting the structures with special concrete or steel shielding.

Nuclear power plants are designed to be safe, but accidents have happened in the past. In 1986, a very serious accident happened at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine. Radioactive gases leaked out of the plant and into the air, destroying crops and livestock and harming people's health. A similar accident happened more recently, when a tsunami damaged the Fukushima power plant in northern Japan in 2011.

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An Easy Guide to Nuclear Energy for Kids - Earth.Org Kids

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Here's a simple guide to nuclear energy for kids, covering everything there is to know about this incredibly powerful source of power.

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As we try to reduce carbon emissions, we need to decide if we should keep using nuclear power or focus more on fossil fuels and renewable energy. Let's explore the pros and cons of nuclear energy to understand if nuclear energy is a good alternative to planet-warming fossil fuels. -
What Is Nuclear Energy?

Nuclear energy is a special kind of energy that comes from the centre of an atom, called the nucleus. This energy can be used to make electricity. There are two types of atomic reactions used to create this energy: nuclear fusion and nuclear fission.

When we use nuclear fission, we use a special kind of fuel called uranium. Uranium is used in a reactor, and it makes the atoms split into two or more pieces. This splitting creates a lot of heat. The heat is used to make water boil, and the steam from the boiling water spins turbines. These spinning turbines create electricity.

Nuclear energy has been around for a long time. In the past, we mostly used fossil fuels like coal, natural gas, and oil to make electricity. But now, more and more countries are using nuclear power because it is cleaner and doesn't harm the environment as much as fossil fuels do. Nuclear power plants started operating in the 1950s and have been a good alternative to oil and gas.

Today, around 10% of the world's energy comes from nuclear power. There are 439 nuclear power plants in 32 countries, and more are being built. Countries like the United States, China, and France use a lot of nuclear energy to make electricity. France, for example, gets 70% of its electricity from nuclear power.

When discussing the use of nuclear power as an energy source, it is important to consider both its advantages and disadvantages.

4 Advantages of Nuclear Energy
1. Nuclear energy produces a lot of electricity
Nuclear power plants can generate a large amount of electricity, which can help meet the energy needs of many people.
2. It is low greenhouse gas emissions
Nuclear power produces very low greenhouse gas emissions compared to fossil fuels like coal and oil. This helps reduce air pollution and the impact on climate change.
3. It is reliable and consistent
Nuclear power plants can operate continuously and provide a steady supply of electricity, unlike some renewable energy sources that depend on weather conditions.
4. It has a high energy density
Nuclear fuel contains a lot of energy in a small amount, which means a small amount of fuel can produce a large amount of electricity.

4 Disadvantages of Nuclear Energy
1. Radioactive waste
Nuclear power plants produce radioactive waste that remains dangerous for a long time. Proper management and disposal of this waste is crucial to prevent harm to people and the environment.

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A Kids' Guide to the Pros and Cons of Nuclear Energy - Earth.Org Kids

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As we try to reduce carbon emissions, we need to decide if we should keep using nuclear power or focus more on fossil fuels and renewable energy. Let's explore the pros and cons of nuclear energy to understand if nuclear energy is a good alternative to planet-warming fossil fuels.

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Kids learn about nuclear energy and fission in the science of physics including E=mc2, power plants, uses of nuclear power, and fusion.

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Nuclear energy is the energy in the nucleus, or core, of an atom. Nuclear energy can be used to create electricity, but it must first be released from the atom.

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http://www.fairenergy.org.uk/ Biomass is a collection of energy sources made from living or recently living organisms. The oldest of these is wood. People have been burning wood to cook food and heat their homes for hundreds of thousands of years. It is carbon neutral because it releases the same amount of CO2 when burned as it absorbed during its life.

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People have used biomass energy-energy from living things-since the earliest homonids first made wood fires for cooking or keeping warm. Today, biomass is used to fuel electric generators and other machinery.

Subjects

Biology, Ecology, Earth Science, Engineering

People have used biomass energy-energy from living things-since the earliest hominids first made wood fires for cooking or keeping warm.

Biomass is organic, meaning it is made of material that comes from living organisms, such as plants and animals. The most common biomass materials used for energy are plants, wood, and waste. These are called biomass feedstocks. Biomass energy can also be a nonrenewable energy source.

Biomass contains energy first derived from the sun: Plants absorb the sun's energy through photosynthesis, and convert carbon dioxide and water into nutrients (carbohydrates).

The energy from these organisms can be transformed into usable energy through direct and indirect means. Biomass can be burned to create heat (direct), converted into electricity (direct), or processed into biofuel (indirect).

Biomass can be burned by thermal conversion and used for energy. Thermal conversion involves heating the biomass feedstock in order to burn, dehydrate, or stabilize it. The most familiar biomass feedstocks for thermal conversion are raw materials such as municipal solid waste (MSW) and scraps from paper or lumber mills.
Thermal Conversion
Different types of energy are created through direct firing, co-firing, pyrolysis, gasification, and anaerobic decomposition.

Before biomass can be burned, however, it must be dried. This chemical process is called torrefaction. During torrefaction, biomass is heated to about 200° to 320° Celsius (390° to 610° Fahrenheit). The biomass dries out so completely that it loses the ability to absorb moisture, or rot. It loses about 20 percent of its original mass, but retains 90 percent of its energy. The lost energy and mass can be used to fuel the torrefaction process.

During torrefaction, biomass becomes a dry, blackened material. It is then compressed into briquettes. Biomass briquettes are very hydrophobic, meaning they repel water. This makes it possible to store them in moist areas. The briquettes have high energy density and are easy to burn during direct or co-firing.

Direct Firing and Co-Firing
Most briquettes are burned directly. The steam produced during the firing process powers a turbine, which turns a generator and produces electricity. This electricity can be used for manufacturing or to heat buildings.

Biomass can also be co-fired, or burned with a fossil fuel. Biomass is most often co-fired in coal plants. Co-firing eliminates the need for new factories for processing biomass. Co-firing also eases the demand for coal. This reduces the amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases released by burning fossil fuels.

Pyrolysis
Pyrolysis is a related method of heating biomass. During pyrolysis, biomass is heated to 200° to 300° C (390° to 570° F) without the presence of oxygen. This keeps it from combusting and causes the biomass to be chemically altered.

Pyrolysis produces a dark liquid called pyrolysis oil, a synthetic gas called syngas, and a solid residue called biochar. All of these components can be used for energy.

Pyrolysis oil, sometimes called bio-oil or biocrude, is a type of tar. It can be combusted to generate electricity and is also used as a component in other fuels and plastics. Scientists and engineers are studying pyrolysis oil as a possible alternative to petroleum.

Syngas can be converted into fuel (such as synthetic natural gas). It can also be converted into methane and used as a replacement for natural gas.

Biochar is a type of charcoal. Biochar is a carbon-rich solid that is particularly useful in agriculture. Biochar enriches soil and prevents it from leaching pesticides and other nutrients into runoff. Biochar is also an excellent carbon sink. Carbon sinks are reservoirs for carbon-containing chemicals, including greenhouse gases.

Gasification
Biomass can also be directly converted to energy through gasification. During the gasification process, a biomass feedstock (usually MSW) is heated to more than 700° C (1,300° F) with a controlled amount of oxygen. The molecules break down, and produce syngas and slag.

Syngas is a combination of hydrogen and carbon monoxide. During gasification, syngas is cleaned of sulfur, particulates, mercury, and other pollutants. The clean syngas can be combusted for heat or electricity, or processed into transportation biofuels, chemicals, and fertilizers.

Slag forms as a glassy, molten liquid. It can be used to make shingles, cement, or asphalt.

Industrial gasification plants are being built all over the world. Asia and Australia are constructing and operating the most plants, although one of the largest gasification plants in the world is currently under construction in Stockton-on-Tees, England. This plant will eventually be able to convert more than 350,000 tons of MSW into enough energy to power 50,000 homes.

Anaerobic Decomposition
Anaerobic decomposition is the process where microorganisms, usually bacteria, break down material in the absence of oxygen. Anaerobic decomposition is an important process in landfills, where biomass is crushed and compressed, creating an anaerobic (or oxygen-poor) environment.

In an anaerobic environment, biomass decays and produces methane, which is a valuable energy source. This methane can replace fossil fuels.

In addition to landfills, anaerobic decomposition can also be implemented on ranches and livestock farms. Manure and other animal waste can be converted to sustainably meet the energy needs of the farm.

Biofuel

Biomass is the only renewable energy source that can be converted into liquid biofuels such as ethanol and biodiesel. Biofuel is used to power vehicles, and is being produced by gasification in countries such as Sweden, Austria, and the United States.

Ethanol is made by fermenting biomass that is high in carbohydrates, such as sugarcane, wheat, or corn. Biodiesel is made from combining ethanol with animal fat, recycled cooking fat, or vegetable oil.

Biofuels do not operate as efficiently as gasoline. However, they can be blended with gasoline to efficiently power vehicles and machinery, and do not release the emissions associated with fossil fuels.

Ethanol requires acres of farmland to grow biocrops (usually corn). About 1,515 liters (400 gallons) of ethanol is produced by an acre of corn. But this acreage is then unavailable for growing crops for food or other uses. Growing enough corn for ethanol also creates a strain on the environment because of the lack of variation in planting, and the high use of pesticides.

Ethanol has become a popular substitute for wood in residential fireplaces. When it is burned, it gives off heat in the form of flames, and water vapor instead of smoke.

Biochar

Biochar, produced during pyrolysis, is valuable in agricultural and environmental use.

When biomass rots or burns (naturally or by human activity), it releases high amounts of methane and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. However, when biomass is charred, it sequesters, or stores, its carbon content. When biochar is added back to the soil, it can continue to absorb carbon and form large underground stores of sequestered carbon-carbon sinks-that can lead to negative carbon emissions and healthier soil.

Biochar also helps enrich the soil. It is porous. When added back to the soil, biochar absorbs and retains water and nutrients.

Biochar is used in Brazil's Amazon rainforest in a process called slash-and-char. Slash-and-char agriculture replaces slash-and-burn, which temporarily increases the soil nutrients but causes it to lose 97 percent of its carbon content. During slash-and-char, the charred plants (biochar) are returned to the soil, and the soil retains 50 percent of its carbon. This enhances the soil and leads to significantly higher plant growth.

Black Liquor
When wood is processed into paper, it produces a high-energy, toxic substance called black liquor. Until the 1930s, black liquor from paper mills was considered a waste product and dumped into nearby water sources.

However, black liquor retains more than 50 percent of the wood's biomass energy. With the invention of the recovery boiler in the 1930s, black liquor could be recycled and used to power the mill. In the United States, paper mills use nearly all their black liquor to run their mills, and the forest industry is one of the most energy-efficient in the nation as a result.

More recently, Sweden has experimented in gasifying black liquor to produce syngas, which can then be used to generate electricity.

Hydrogen Fuel Cells

Biomass is rich in hydrogen, which can be chemically extracted and used to generate power and to fuel vehicles. Stationary fuel cells are used to generate electricity in remote locations, such as spacecraft and wilderness areas. Yosemite National Park in the U.S. state of California, for example, uses hydrogen fuel cells to provide electricity and hot water to its administration building.

Hydrogen fuel cells may hold even more potential as an alternative energy source for vehicles. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that biomass has the potential to produce 40 million tons of hydrogen per year. This would be enough to fuel 150 million vehicles.

Currently, hydrogen fuel cells are used to power buses, forklifts, boats, and submarines, and are being tested on airplanes and other vehicles.

However, there is a debate as to whether this technology will become sustainable or economically possible. The energy that it takes to isolate, compress, package, and transport the hydrogen does not leave a high quantity of energy for practical use.

Biomass and the Environment

Biomass is an integral part of Earth's carbon cycle. The carbon cycle is the process by which carbon is exchanged between all layers of Earth: atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and lithosphere.

The carbon cycle takes many forms. Carbon helps regulate the amount of sunlight that enters Earth's atmosphere. It is exchanged through photosynthesis, decomposition, respiration, and human activity. Carbon that is absorbed by soil as an organism decomposes, for example, may be recycled as a plant releases carbon-based nutrients into the biosphere through photosynthesis. Under the right conditions, the decomposing organism may become peat, coal, or petroleum before being extracted through natural or human activity.

Between periods of exchange, carbon is sequestered, or stored. The carbon in fossil fuels has been sequestered for millions of years. When fossil fuels are extracted and burned for energy, their sequestered carbon is released into the atmosphere. Fossil fuels do not reabsorb carbon.

In contrast to fossil fuels, biomass comes from recently living organisms. The carbon in biomass can continue to be exchanged in the carbon cycle.

In order to effectively allow Earth to continue the carbon cycle process, however, biomass materials such as plants and forests have to be sustainably farmed. It takes decades for trees and plants such as switchgrass to reabsorb and sequester carbon. Uprooting or disturbing the soil can be extremely disruptive to the process. A steady and varied supply of trees, crops, and other plants is vital for maintaining a healthy environment.

Algal Fuel

Algae is a unique organism that has enormous potential as a source of biomass energy. Algae, whose most familiar form is seaweed, produces energy through photosynthesis at a much quicker rate than any other biofuel feedstock-up to 30 times faster than food crops!

Algae can be grown in ocean water, so it does not deplete freshwater resources. It also does not require soil, and therefore does not reduce arable land that could potentially grow food crops. Although algae releases carbon dioxide when it is burned, it can be farmed and replenished as a living organism. As it is replenished, it releases oxygen, and absorbs pollutants and carbon emissions.

Algae takes up much less space than other biofuel crops. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that it would only take approximately 38,850 square kilometers (15,000 square miles, an area less than half the size of the U.S. state of Maine) to grow enough algae to replace all petroleum-fueled energy needs in the United States.

Algae contains oils that can be converted to a biofuel. At the Aquaflow Bionomic Corporation in New Zealand, for example, algae is processed with heat and pressure. This creates a "green crude," which has similar properties to crude oil, and can be used as a biofuel.

Algae's growth, photosynthesis, and energy production increases when carbon dioxide is bubbled through it. Algae is an excellent filter that absorbs carbon emissions. Bioenergy Ventures, a Scottish firm, has developed a system in which carbon emissions from a whiskey distillery are funneled to an algae pool. The algae flourishes with the additional carbon dioxide. When the algae die (after about a week) they are collected, and their lipids (oils) are converted into biofuel or fish food.

Algae has enormous potential as an alternative energy source. However, processing it into usable forms is expensive. Although it is estimated to yield 10 to 100 times more fuel than other biofuel crops, in 2010 it cost $5,000 a ton. The cost will likely come down, but it is currently out of reach for most developing economies.

People and Biomass

Advantages
Biomass is a clean, renewable energy source. Its initial energy comes from the sun, and plants or algae biomass can regrow in a relatively short amount of time. Trees, crops, and municipal solid waste are consistently available and can be managed sustainably.

If trees and crops are sustainably farmed, they can offset carbon emissions when they absorb carbon dioxide through respiration. In some bioenergy processes, the amount of carbon that is reabsorbed even exceeds the carbon emissions that are released during fuel processing or usage.

Many biomass feedstocks, such as switchgrass, can be harvested on marginal lands or pastures, where they do not compete with food crops.

Unlike other renewable energy sources, such as wind or solar, biomass energy is stored within the organism, and can be harvested when it is needed.

Disadvantages
If biomass feedstocks are not replenished as quickly as they are used, they can become nonrenewable. A forest, for instance, can take hundreds of years to re-establish itself. This is still a much, much shorter time period than a fossil fuel such as peat. It can take 900 years for just a meter (three feet) of peat to replenish itself.

Most biomass requires arable land to develop. This means that land used for biofuel crops such as corn and soybeans are unavailable to grow food or provide natural habitats.

Forested areas that have matured for decades (so-called "old-growth forests") are able to sequester more carbon than newly planted areas. Therefore, if forested areas are not sustainably cut, re-planted, and given time to grow and sequester carbon, the advantages of using the wood for fuel are not offset by the trees' regrowth.

Most biomass plants require fossil fuels to be economically efficient. An enormous plant under construction near Port Talbot, Wales, for instance, will require fossil fuels imported from North America, offsetting some of the sustainability of the enterprise.

Biomass has a lower "energy density" than fossil fuels. As much as 50 percent of biomass is water, which is lost in the energy conversion process. Scientists and engineers estimate that it is not economically efficient to transport biomass more than 160 kilometers (100 miles) from where it is processed. However, converting biomass into pellets (as opposed to wood chips or larger briquettes) can increase the fuel's energy density and make it more advantageous to ship.

Burning biomass releases carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and other pollutants and particulates. If these pollutants are not captured and recycled, burning biomass can create smog and even exceed the number of pollutants released by fossil fuels.

Fast Fact

Balancing Biomass
The Union of Concerned Scientists helped develop A Balanced Definition of Renewable Biomass, which are practical and effective sustainability provisions that can provide a measure of assurance that woody biomass harvests will be sustainable.

Fast Fact

Fowl Play
The three million chickens of the enormous Beijing Deqingyuan chicken farm, outside Beijing, China, produce 220 tons of manure and 170 tons of wastewater each day. Using gasification technology from GE Energy, the farm is able to convert chicken manure into 14,600 megawatt-hours of electricity per year.

Fast Fact

Green Energy in the Green Mountain State
The first U.S. biomass gasification plant opened near Burlington, Vermont, in 1998. The Joseph C. McNeil Generating Station uses wood from low-quality trees and harvest residue, and produces about 50 megawatts of electricityalmost enough to sustain Vermont's largest city.

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Illustrator

Mary Crooks, National Geographic Society

Editor

Jeannie Evers, Emdash Editing, Emdash Editing

Producer

National Geographic Society

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Last Updated

October 19, 2023

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People have used biomass energy-energy from living things-since the earliest homonids first made wood fires for cooking or keeping warm. Today, biomass is used to fuel electric generators and other machinery.

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The Future of Energy - Geothermal Power | PBS LearningMedia

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Geothermal energy is energy that is generated and stored within the earth. It takes advantage of the Earth's core heat to produce usable energy. Learn more with this video from the Explore More: The Future of Energy series.

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The Future of Energy - Hydropower | PBS LearningMedia

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Water's raw power provides the energy to produce enough electricity for 28 million Americans every year and, as of 2011, creates nearly 10 percent all electricity in the U.S. Worldwide, hydropower generates more than 2.3 trillion Kilowatt (kW) hours of electricity per year, the energy equivalent of 3.6 billion barrels of oil.

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Solar, wind, hydroelectric, biomass, and geothermal power can provide energy without the planet-warming effects of fossil fuels.

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Geothermal energy is produced during the slow decay of radioactive elements in the earth's core. This process is continuous and it never stops, this is why geothermal energy is a renewable energy source.

The hot steam from a geyser and the hot lava from a volcanoe are examples of geothermal energy because they both come from the underground heat.

We can use geothermal to heat our homes and generate electricity. Have you ever been to a geothermal hot spring? The geothermal bathing and thermal beauty products represent another use of geothermal energy.

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Geothermal for Kids - International Geothermal Association

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Geothermal energy is produced during the slow decay of radioactive elements in the earth's core. This process is continuous and it never stops, this is why geothermal energy is a renewable energy source. The hot steam from a geyser and the hot lava from a volcanoe are examples of geothermal energy because they both come from the underground heat.

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Renewable Energy 101: How Does Hydroelectricity Work?

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What are the advantages and disadvantages of solar energy?

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Renewable Energy 101: How Does Biomass Energy Work?

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Nuclear Energy for Kids | Discovering the Wonders of Nuclear Energy | A Fun Guide for Kids

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There's more than just cars and empty spaces in this car park. Huge arrays of angled solar panels sit atop jet black steel supports, soaking up the sun and shading the vehicles beneath.

Outside the offices of a major car manufacturer in the south of England, there are now more than 2,000 panels in total with a peak capacity of just under 1 megawatt (MW).

That's enough to power hundreds of homes.

"They are looking stunning," declares Guy Chilvers, business development manager at SIG, the firm that supplied the solar canopies.

These structures make car parks more visually appealing, he insists, while admitting, "I would say that".

Solar car parks or car ports enable electricity production in open spaces that tend to be positioned conveniently near to energy-guzzling facilities such as hospitals, shopping centres or offices. The canopies have additional benefits in that they protect cars from rain and snow, or hot sun in the summer.

There is a huge opportunity to turn more British car parks into solar farms, according to a new report published by the countryside charity CPRE and the UCL Energy Institute.

"We think the total potential in the built environment is about 117GW," says Prof Mark Barrett of UCL. "And of that, 11GW, we think, is car parks."

Whichever way you look at it, there's plenty of space out there in car parks for solar panels and people are beginning to realise this.

"It's absolutely gone crazy," says Mr Chilvers, referring to his inbox. Lately, he's quoted for hotels, hospitals and leisure centres. Mr Chilvers and his colleagues design and build the steel structures for solar canopies while the panels are supplied separately.

Rival companies that spoke to the BBC also described high demand for solar car park canopies.

Praxia Energy, based in Spain, supplies about 3MW of car park solar installations in the UK each year and says it expects this to grow tenfold by 2028.

A spokeswoman for Veolia says the company recently installed a 1.1MW solar canopy system in the car park of Eastbourne Hospital and the firm has registered increased demand for solar infrastructure in the UK lately.

Solarsense, a company in Clevedon, says it has also received rising enquiries in recent months.

Tim Evans, chief executive of 3ti, argues that, in the past, the UK has been slow to pursue this technology in comparison with countries on the continent. "We are quite some way behind the curve," he says.

There are some flagship examples already in place, though. The largest solar car park installed to date in the UK is the one at the Bentley car factory in Crewe, which has a peak capacity of 2.7MW.

Mr Evans says he is currently exploring four new potential projects with clients that could exceed 5MW peak capacity.

Solar panels in car parks can also power electric vehicle (EV) charging. This works especially well at offices, where employees' cars are parked outside for many hours. Shopping centres, football stadiums, leisure centres and cinemas are also suitable venues, since cars tend to be parked for two hours or more to allow sufficient charging, says Mr Evans.

But the steel supports required for many solar canopies do add to the cost. It is often cheaper to simply put solar panels on the roof of large buildings, such as supermarkets. Mr Evans estimates that rooftop solar yields electricity at about 9p per kWh currently, versus 14p or 15p per kWh from panels in car parks.

There aren't many other obvious downsides to the canopies, though, says Richard Watkins at the University of Kent. He notes that installers might want to fit them with efficient under-canopy lighting so that they don't result in dark, potentially dangerous spaces at night.

"I've just had a megawatt car park, beautiful car park, for a factory turned down because it can't get a grid connection," says Mr Chilvers.

A spokesman for Solar Energy UK also highlights this problem, saying that solar car parks becoming a common sight will remain a "distant prospect" until it is resolved.

The energy industry regulator Ofgem is looking at ways to speed up connections and National Grid also has a plan to improve the process.

There are lots of other locations around the UK, besides car parks, that could also accommodate solar installations and help us ditch fossil fuels, notes Prof Sara Walker at Newcastle University. Cycle paths and railways, for instance, or reservoirs that can be covered with floating solar panels. These also help reduce the evaporative loss of water from reservoirs.

"Where we can co-locate solar photovoltaics alongside infrastructure that would be there anyway, like a car park, it enables us to get double use out of the land surface," she says.

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Why car parks are the hottest space in solar power

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Car parks are a good place for solar panels, providing shade and electricity where it is needed.

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Silicon, found in sand, has the remarkable ability to generate electricity when light strikes it. This "photovoltaic" effect enables sunlight to operate watches, power spacecraft, run pumps and provide electricity for homes and businesses. Clean, renewable energy from the sun seems like the perfect alternative to "dirty," nonrenewable fossil fuel, but under some conditions, that free energy impacts your environment.

If you were to own a solar energy business, you might market two types of technologies that produce electricity: photovoltaic, which uses silicon or other conductive substances, and solar-thermal. Solar panels containing small solar cells are good examples of photovoltaic products. Devices that use solar thermal technology focus sunlight on liquid that warms water to produce steam. Energy from the steam turns a generator that produces electricity. Solar power plants generate electricity for customers using this method.

A solar-powered parking meter, such as one you might find in Washington, D.C., requires no fuel, and it releases no toxins into the environment. When companies create photovoltaic wafers that go into solar cells, the production process generates a small amount of hazardous material. Workers must manage it carefully to prevent environmental and health problems. When some solar cells break, they become hazardous waste and must also be handled with caution.

Homes and small businesses often install solar panels on roofs. Because that installation occurs on existing developments, photovoltaic systems do not usually consume large amounts of land that you could use for something else. Solar-thermal systems, on the other hand, could use a large amount of land depending on the type of technology you use and the facility's size. If a new solar energy installation requires land use, it could have a negative impact on wildlife habitat in the area. Off-grid PV systems often have disposable batteries that store energy when the sun shines so you can use it at night. These batteries can harm the environment unless you dispose of them properly because some of them can leak toxins such as lead and sulfuric acid.

Solar energy devices may not harm the environment, but operations and maintenance activities at solar energy facilities might. Excess noise, for instance, could disturb wildlife around a power plant. Equipment and structures at a facility itself could cause problems. Focused sun rays at a solar thermal plant might burn birds. Workers at solar energy facilities must also use and dispose of cleaning agents carefully to protect the environment as well as life that lives in it. Finally, concentrating solar power technologies (parabolic trough and power tower) may also generate substantial amounts of heat transfer fluids and industrial solid wastes, such as:

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Silicon, found in sand, has the remarkable ability to generate electricity when light strikes it. This "photovoltaic" effect enables sunlight to operate watches, power spacecraft, run pumps and provide electricity for homes and businesses. Clean, renewable energy from the sun seems like the perfect alternative ...

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Although solar energy can be an efficient green energy solution, it might also have negative environmental consequences.