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CW4, BW7,
E&S6, E&S7,
NOS10

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Practical to link energy conversions to the cycles of matter

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How can hydropower be used to lift an object?

2-liter plastic soda bottle

Ruler

Marker

Craft knife (have an adult help you use it)

Scissors

2 corks

1 wooden barbeque skewer

Sewing thread (16 inches)

Small objects to lift (small fishing sinker, an eraser)

Sink

Duct Tape

Large Funnel

Paper clips

1. Using your marker and ruler, measure and mark a few dots 6 cm up from the bottom of the bottle. Connect your dots and have an adult help you cut off the bottom using the craft knife.

2. Measure an 8cm section from the cut part of the bottle. Cut out this section so that you have a cylindrical section of plastic.

Cut four 2 cm-wide strips from the 8cm section with your scissors. Cut these strips in half so you are left with eight curved strips that measure 4 cm by 2 cm.

Draw 8 evenly spaced lines lengthwise on the cork, and make slits along each line with your hobby knife. Making sure that the plastic pieces all curve in the same direction, slide each 4 cm by 2 cm plastic piece into its own slit. Why do you think it's important that the strips all curve in the same direction?

Unfold two paperclips and flex one end of each to create a small loop. These paperclips will act as supports for the water wheel's axle.

1. Affix your supports on opposite sides of your plastic funnel using your duct tape.

2. Cut the skewer in half and poke each half into one side of the wheel cork. Guide each end through a loop on your paper clip support. Make sure your paper clip's loops are loose enough to allow the wheel to turn freely.

1. Insert one of the skewers into the other cork and tie thread tightly around it. Tie the loose end of the thread to a weight or other small household object.

2. Place your completed water wheel under a gentle stream of water in your sink. Slowly run water over the wheel so that the plastic pieces on the cork catch the falling water and turn it into mechanical energy.

Extra: Water has potential energy due to its position above the ground. The higher above the ground the water is, the more potential energy it has. Can you convert more of this potential energy into mechanical energy? Try making several water wheels and daisy-chaining them together! When water exits one water wheel, it can pass through another, and so on.

The wheel spins and produces enough mechanical energy to elevate small items tied to the end of the thread.

You just generated hydropower using the water from your faucet! Gravity pulls water down toward the earth, and the weight of the water exerts torque (a rotational force) on the water wheel. This torque provides enough energy to turn the skewer, allowing you to raise items attached to the other cork. Did you notice that more water pressure was needed to lift heavier objects? More energy is needed to lift heavy items than lighter ones, and by increasing the flow of water you generated more power.

Hydropower is still used as a source of electricity in the United States. Using the same concepts from your experiment, water wheels capture the force of powerful rivers, converting it into electricity and sending it into the electrical grid. Hydropower is an example of renewable energy, energy that can be continually replenished. What other renewable energy projects for kids can you find?

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Renewable Energy Project for Kids: Power from Water | Science project | Education.com

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How can hydropower be used to lift an object? 2-liter plastic soda bottle Ruler Marker Craft knife (have an adult help you use it) Scissors 2 corks 1 wooden barbeque skewer Sewing thread (16 inches) Small objects to lift (small fishing sinker, an eraser) Sink Duct Tape Large Funnel Paper clips Using your marker and ruler, measure and mark a few dots 6 cm up from the bottom of the bottle.

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Visualising the levels of  air pollution

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Air Pollution in World: Real-time Air Quality Index Visual Map

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How polluted is the air today? Check out the real-time air pollution map, for more than 60 countries.

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Bord na Mona not only produces non-renewable energy resources, it is now promoting decarbonisation

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Bord na Móna accelerates Decarbonisation. Fast-tracks Renewable Energy and Higher Value Recycling plans and brings forward the end of energy peat. Announces New Sustainable Business plans.
Bord na Móna has announced its strategy to decarbonise, accelerating moves away from its traditional peat business into renewables, resource recovery and new sustainable businesses.

New Chief Executive, Tom Donnellan, has launched a Brown to Green strategy that aligns the company with National and EU Decarbonisation policies. It aims to accelerate the development of renewable energy assets to support national climate and energy policy targets as well as accelerating investment in higher-value recycling and resource recovery business. It will include developing new business to support sustainable employment in the Midlands. The strategy will commence engagement with employees flagging possible reduction of 380-430 managerial, administrative and peat operations roles. The complete end of using peat for energy will also be brought forward by two years to 2028.

Announcing the move Chief Executive, Tom Donnellan, said:

"Decarbonisation is the biggest challenge facing this planet. For Bord na Móna it presents both a serious challenge and a national opportunity. By accelerating the move away from peat into renewable energy, resource recovery, and new businesses we are supporting national policy and seizing the opportunity presented by decarbonisation. Standing still is not an option for Bord na Móna. We are embarking on a transition phase now which will see us become a leading provider of renewable energy on the Island of Ireland by 2026, a leader in high-value recycling and provider of a range of new low carbon goods and services. Allied to all of this, a key focus of our decarbonisation plan is ensuring that Bord na Móna remains a very significant employer in the Midlands of Ireland for the decades to come. In the past few months, we have put in place a new structure to safeguard the maximum number of jobs, facilitate the decarbonisation strategy and repositioning of the company. While decarbonisation means we must introduce a new structure it also means confronting some extremely difficult choices. It means that fewer people will be working in peat operations and also managerial and administrative roles across Bord na Móna. We will shortly open a voluntary redundancy programme, with the expectation that these changes could directly impact approximately 380-430 roles and employees. A consultation process that includes the Group of Unions is underway. It will enable Bord na Móna to work through these challenges. In the medium term, we will be increasing employment again in our new businesses but this is not to minimise the real short-term challenges for people that flow from decarbonisation."

Key points of the company's decarbonisation plan include:

75% of energy generated by the company will be renewable by 2020, up from 10% in 2010.

Development of new businesses to support the low carbon economy in development. Identified potential to create 400-500 jobs across the Midlands in the medium term.

Accelerated development of renewable energy assets. Providing up to 2GW of generating assets by 2030.

Steep increase in the supply of greenhouse-gas neutral biomass replacing peat to the three Midlands power stations.

The complete end of using peat for energy brought forward by two years to 2028.

An immediate steep reduction in peat volumes down from a recent high of 6.5million tonnes(mt) in 2013 to 2mt in 2020. Fast-tracking peat reduction and cessation will carry a significant associated reduction in carbon emissions.

Investment and acquisitions by the Resource Recovery business in high-value recycling and waste recovery operations aim to support the national circular economy. Expansion of the company's new tyre-recycling plant are envisaged to create 46 jobs.

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Bord na Móna accelerates Decarbonisation | Bord na Móna

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Bord na Móna accelerates Decarbonisation. Fast-tracks Renewable Energy and Higher Value Recycling plans and brings forward the end of energy peat. Announces New Sustainable Business plans. Bord na Móna has announced its strategy to decarbonise, accelerating moves away from its traditional peat business into renewables, resource recovery and new sustainable businesses.

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What is climate change and why is it happening? Join CJ the bee to find out.
www.trocaire.org/education/lent2015

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Non-Renewable & Renewable Energy Resources 

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Non-Renewable & Renewable Energy Resources 

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Powerpoint presentation

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Useful background info for the teacher

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GCSE Biology Revision "The Carbon Cycle"

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Useful background info for the teacher

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Precipitation
Evaporation
Condensation
Percolation

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Inquiry learning and assessment strategy - global warming case studies

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The Global warming SAILS inquiry and assessment unit aims to enable students to consider scientific data and determine whether or not the evidence supports the phenomenon of global warming. An additional activity presents an opinion piece, which the students should critique to judge its scientific merit.

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Practical to demonstrate how the burning of fossil fuels cause global warming

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EPA video explaining how carbon footprint can be measured and comprehension based on the video

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Measuring our Carbon Footprint :: Environmental Protection Agency, Ireland

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You are here: Home > Research and Education > Education > 2020 Vision Second Level Resource > Limiting & Adapting to Climate Change > Measuring our Carbon Footprint

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Acid rain is produced as a result of burning fossil fuels. GMIT has copper panels which have been impacted by acid rain. The statue of liberty was also once brown copper.

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National Geographic video explaining how acid rain is formed

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What is Acid Rain? | National Geographic

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Photosynthesis
Respiration
Aerobic/Anaerobic
Combustion

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Lesson plan from Green Schools Ireland, incorporating simple activities to model key processes such as condensation and evaporation

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Using the JCT's link to learning resources for E&S LO 5, I found this website to contain beneficial information for both myself and the students. It also has an interactive carbon cycle diagram.

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The carbon cycle can seem like a complex process because there are many interacting parts.

Carbon is found in both organic (living) and inorganic (non-living) forms. Before we discuss the cycle, there are a few other things you need to know about carbon:

The Earth has a finite amount of carbon.

Living things are made up of carbon (often they are described as being carbon-based) and need carbon to survive.

Carbon is also found in non-living things such as rocks, animal shells, the atmosphere and oceans.

Carbon found in something living is called organic carbon.

Carbon found in something non-living is called inorganic carbon.

Carbon dioxide is an important gas in our atmosphere. It prevents heat from escaping and, in doing so, warms up the Earth's atmosphere. In a similar way to the glass of a greenhouse, it traps the heat from escaping and, for this reason, it is called a greenhouse gas.

After reading through that list you might ask yourself, "If there is a fixed amount of carbon and living things need carbon to survive, won't we just use it all up?" The answer to that is no, and this is where the carbon cycle comes in.

Carbon moves through the Earth's system from living to non-living in many different ways. You could almost think of it as the ultimate in recycling.

Let's start with how living things get carbon. Plants use carbon dioxide for photosynthesis. By doing so, they remove inorganic carbon from the atmosphere and incorporate it into the plants' tissues in the form of organic carbon (sugar and starch). Animals get carbon by eating plants or by eating other animals.

Carbon is returned to an inorganic state in a number of ways. As an animal breathes (respires), it exhales carbon dioxide, returning it back to the atmosphere. When an animal or plant dies, it is broken down by bacteria and fungi and again the carbon is released (this process is called decomposition).

Sometimes, instead of completely decomposing, a plant or animal may be fossilised, leading to its carbon being stored in a rock. After millions of years and under the right conditions, these fossils may turn into fossil fuels (oil, coal and natural gas).

The carbon stored in fossil fuels is released when they are burned. This release is called carbon dioxide emission, with each different fossil fuel emitting a different amount of carbon dioxide as well as carbon monoxide and soot (carbon particles).

Because people use so much fossil fuel, the emission rate means the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere today is around 30% higher than it was 200 years ago. The carbon levels are important because having more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has been linked to an increase of heat that is being trapped in the atmosphere (greenhouse effect).

Useful link

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The carbon cycle can seem like a complex process because there are many interacting parts. Carbon is found in both organic (living) and inorganic (non-living) forms. Before we discuss the cycle, there are a few other things you need to know about carbon: The Earth has a finite amount of carbon.

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I found this website on the JCT which had suggested websites for specific learning outcomes. Along with incorporating the states of matter, lots of activities can be found on this website based on the water cycle.

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Earth is called the blue planet due to the abundance of water. About 70% of the surface of the Earth is covered by water, and it is the only natural substance that can be found on Earth in all three states - liquid, solid and gas. Due to this unique property, water can be found just about everywhere.

Liquid, solid and gas

Rivers, groundwater, lakes, the world's five oceans and rain represent the liquid phase of water.

In its gaseous state, water vapour is evaporated by the Sun's solar radiation from the surface of water bodies like oceans or lakes, and from the surface of plants and the land. Water vapour can also evaporate directly from its frozen state.

Snow and ice represent the solid form of water and can be found in the Earth's polar icecaps and on top of high mountains. Some of the snow and ice melts and turns into liquid water. In the polar regions, ice can stay frozen for thousands of years.

Only a small amount of the total amount of water (about 0.3%) is directly useable for human consumption.

Water's journey

If you leave some water on a saucer by a window, it will eventually evaporate. This happens only if there is enough thermal (heat) energy available for the water molecule to vibrate so vigorously that the molecules 'break' out of their liquid structure and turn into a gas.

But why do the oceans not dry up? In fact, most of the evaporation occurs from ocean water. Much of the evaporated water rains back into the oceans again. Some falls on the land surface and might spend some time on there as ice, snow, groundwater or in streams, or it may be stored in lakes before it returns back to sea.

This journey is called the hydrological cycle. It describes the exchange of water in every form between the Earth's systems and is part of what makes the Earth so unique.

Meet the scientists

David Hamilton, Louis Schipper, Dave Campbell and Keith Hunter are New Zealand scientists who each study one aspect of the hydrological cycle. In their studies, they need to consider the Earth as a whole, dynamic and interacting system.

Take up the challenge

The Hub has a number of activities that model aspects of the water cycle.

Other teaching resources include:

Question bank

The H₂O on the go, the water cycle - question bank provides an initial list of questions the water cycle and places where their answers can be found. The questions support an inquiry approach.

Key terms

For explanations of key concepts, see H₂O on the go - key terms.

Timeline

Explore the timeline to look at events in our water cycle from millions of years ago to the present.

Related content

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H₂O on the go, the water cycle - introduction

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Earth is called the blue planet due to the abundance of water. About 70% of the surface of the Earth is covered by water, and it is the only natural substance that can be found on Earth in all three states - liquid, solid and gas.

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Explains how earth's primary greenhouse gas is water vapout

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Landscape sculptor. Climate driver. Life supporter. Water is the most important molecule on our planet.

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This article explains the importance of carbon sinks and also what negative emissions are.

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A carbon sink is anything that absorbs more carbon than it releases as carbon dioxide. European forests are currently a net carbon sink as they take in more carbon than they emit. In climate negotiations, this temporary reduction of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is also known as negative emissions.

Forest carbon sinks are not an excuse to delay action in reducing fossil fuel emissions. This is because carbon absorbed by trees is dynamic. Forest carbon moves between the atmosphere (as carbon dioxide) and the tree (as carbon) in a continuous cycle, known as the forest carbon cycle.

Carbon stored in fossil fuel is static, remaining trapped outside the atmosphere for thousands of years. This means that forests can never cancel out or 'offset' emissions from fossil sources.

Using forest carbon sinks to justify carbon dioxide emissions from fossil sources will increase concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, making it impossible to meet the global goal of keeping international temperature rises to well below 2°C.

Despite the clear difference between fossil and forest carbon, United Nations climate negotiators often suggest that planting trees or reducing deforestation is equivalent to reducing emissions from burning fossil fuels. Until this myth is finally busted, schemes to reduce emissions from deforestation and degradation ( REDD), the Clean Development Mechanism or LULUCF have the potential to do more harm than good.

While it is quite possible to keep coal in the hole and oil in the soil, no government or company can ever ensure that carbon will remain in trees. Forest fires, insect outbreaks, decay, logging, land use changes and the decline of forest ecosystems as a result of climate change are all hard or impossible to control. This doesn't mean we shouldn't try to protect and restore forests, just that we need to do itat the same time as reducing fossil fuel emissions to zero.

For more information on any of these issues please see read our report Return of the Trees or watch Fern's video on LULUCF.

Categories: Climate, Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF), Negative emissions, Restoration

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A carbon sink is anything that absorbs more carbon than it releases as carbon dioxide. European forests are currently a net carbon sink as they take in more carbon than they emit. In climate negotiations, this temporary reduction of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is also known as negative...

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