Global Change
Do you know what one of the hottest topics in science is this year? That’s right, global warming! But, do you know what causes global warming? It is directly linked to the ways we use energy and the amount of energy we use. And everyday there are more babies born and we create better medicine to keep us alive longer – that means more people using more energy! Together these topics can be called Global Change.
-- Araña Pequeña
What Is Hotter Than Hot?
By Wilhemina Agbemakplido
Imagine staying in your room with all the windows closed. Imagine doing this on a really hot summer day. What would happen? All the heat would be trapped in your room. Your room would become hotter and hotter. Now imagine that happening to the whole planet.
I’m sure that you have heard the words “global warming.” Do you really know what it is? Global warming is the increase in the average temperature of the earth’s atmosphere. This simply means that the temperature of the earth goes up a little every year. When this happens, the weather changes, ice at the poles and glaciers melts, and animals have to move to find food and homes because their habitats change. But what causes the planet to warm?
Well, when we burn fuel, like coal and oil, it produces gases such as carbon dioxide which go up into the atmosphere. These gases prevent heat from leaving the atmosphere, just like that closed window in your room prevents the heat from escaping. In this case it makes the earth hot, just like staying in your room in summer with all the windows closed. So what’s hotter than hot? Global warming!
Using Too Much Energy? Here's How to Help!
By Annie Wu
Energy is used for many things. We use energy when
we need electricity, heat, water, etc. For example, when we turn on the
lights at home, we are using electricity. This electricity is wired from
a power plant. And in a power plant, fossil fuels like coal are often
used to create the electricity. And those fossil fuels cause global warming!
Now you see how it’s all connected? Here are some ways for you to
start using less energy:
• Don’t turn on the lights in the daytime! Use the natural
sunlight!
• Air dry your wet laundry outside!
• Take shorter showers!
• Unplug rarely used appliances!
• Turn off the TV, lights, computer, etc. when you are no longer
using it!
• Persuade your parents to buy energy efficient products!(Energy
efficient products do the same job but use a lot less
energy!)
• Wear more clothes at home so you don’t have to turn the
heat up as high!
• Pull down the shades to keep your house cool!
• RECYCLE your paper, plastic, and cans! Energy monitors –
good luck saving energy!
If I Had Renewable Energy, I'd Never Be Tired Again!
By Annie Wu
You’ve heard of energy, but did you know there are lots of different kinds? One kind is renewable energy. Renewable energy is energy that comes from sources that will never run out. These sources include the sun, water, wind, and much more! Don’t get confused by its name though! Renewable energy is not energy that can be reused. Fossil fuels, such as coal, can be used up, so they are not a renewable energy source. They take millions of years to form and will eventually run out. All fossil fuels are non-renewable energy.
Two
important types of renewable energy are wind and solar power. Wind
energy is, well, the 
wind!
Windmills have been used for a very long time to turn wind into energy
we can use. When the wind blows, it causes the windmill to spin, creating
energy for people to do direct work, like pump water or grind grain. Today,
we mostly use wind turbines that can turn the wind energy into electricity!
Solar power, the other major renewable energy, is energy
from the sun. We use it daily to warm our homes and dry our clothes in
the summer. And solar panels are more and more popular. They collect solar
energy and turn it into electricity we can use in our homes and businesses.
Now that you know what renewable energy and nonrenewable energy are, you can continue by reading about clean energy in the next article!
I'd Like Some Clean Energy, Please!
By Rashida Registe
So, we all know what renewable energy and global warming
are now, right? Here is one more piece of the puzzle – clean energy!
But wait, what is clean energy? Clean energy is energy
that does not pollute the environment. Many energy sources, such as fossil
fuels and nuclear power are not clean, and they pollute the environment.
Have you seen a chimney on a building blowing out white clouds? Well,
all the wood or coal that makes the fire creates smoke that has harmful
chemicals known as pollution. So, what energy sources are better for the
environment?
Clean energy is a source of energy that we can use to do all of our everyday activities without having to pollute the Earth. For example, we could use more energy from the sun and wind to give us power instead of using so much oil and coal. Using these sources we could create a healthier environment. In the last article you learned about renewable energy. Did you know that not all renewable energy is clean energy? It’s true, not all of them are clean. For example, hydropower, or water power, is renewable but not clean. Does hydropower pollute? It doesn’t pollute by sending smoke and chemicals into the air, but it does hurt plants and animals and their homes.
Imagine playing on a nice green playground with bright green grass and huge trees for shade, or on a dirty playground with a lot of litter blowing around. Which one would you choose? Did you choose the green one? That’s the same reason why clean energy is good for the world!
