Cahaba School                                                              Email: dhminor@bellsouth.net or cahabaschool@bellsouth.net Environmental Science Portfolio: keep a file each month of environmental articles you find in the newspapers, online, magazines, etc. Your portfolio will be due at the end of the semester   SECOND SEMESTER ES Unit I: Natural Disasters  Assignments: 1. Read the chapter & answer the questions 2. Know the vocabulary terms 3, Click on all links 4. Paper (see instructions at end of Unit 1) I.  Answer the Questions (type-all definitions must be in own words) 1. Natural disaster 2. Avalanche 3. Cold 4. Disease 5. Drought 6. Earthquake 7. Volcano 8. Mud Slide 9. Storm surge 10. Thunderstorm 11. Sink hole 12. Landslid 13. Impact event 14. Hurricane 15. Heat 16. Hail 17. Fire 18. Flood 19. Solar Flare 20. Tornado 21. Tsunami 22. Snowstorm 23. What was the most destructive hurricane in the US? 24. What are the top four deadliest disasters in the world? 25. What happened in the Indian Ocean in 2004? 26. What is the difference between a hurricane, cyclone and a typhoon? 27. What was the estimated death toll in the 1931 China flood? 28. Where and when was the deadliest avalanche? 29. What is NOAA? 30. What should you do during a tornado?       Vocabulary Natural disasters      A Natural phenomenon can easily turn into a natural disaster, which Appears to arise without direct human involvement. A natural disaster may become more severe because of human actions prior, during or after the disaster itself. A specific disaster may spawn different types of events and may reduce the survivability of the initial event. A classic example, is an earthquake that collapses homes, trapping people and breaking gas mains that then ignite, and burn people alive while trapped under debris. Human activity in risk areas may cause natural disasters. Volcanos are particularly prone to causing other events like fires, lahars, mudflows, landslides, earthquakes, and tsunamis. Avalanche                An avalanche is a slippage of built-up snow down an incline, possibly mixed with ice, rock, soil or plantlife in what is called a debris avalanche. Avalanches are categorized as either slab or powder avalanches. Avalanches are a major danger in the mountains during the winter as a large one can run for miles, and can create massive destruction of the lower forest and anything else in its path. For example, in Montroc, France, in 1999 300,000 cubic metres of snow slid on a 30 degree slope, achieving a speed of 100 km/h. It killed 12 people in their chalets under 100,000 tons of snow, 5 meters deep. The Mayor of Chamonix was charged with manslaughter. Cold                        Extreme cold snaps are hazardous to humans and their livestock. In a 2003 Mongolian cold snap, almost 30,000 livestock animals perished due to excessive snow and cold. When the temperature drops, caloric intake must increase to maintain body heat to for shivering. Disease                  Disease becomes a disaster when it spreads in a pandemic or epidemic as a massive outbreak of an infectious agent. Disease is historically the most dangerous of all natural disasters. Different epidemics are caused by different diseases, and different epidemics have included the Black Death, smallpox, and AIDS. The Spanish flu of 1918 was the deadliest ever epidemic, it killed 25-40 million people. The Black Death, which occurred in the 14th Century, killed over 20 million people, one third of Europe's population. Plant and animal life may also be affected by disease epidemics and pandemics. Drought                A drought is a long-lasting weather pattern consisting of dry conditions with very little or no precipitation. during this period, food and water supplies can run low, and other conditions, such as famine, can result. Droughts can last for several years and are particularly damaging in areas in which the residents depend on agriculture for survival. The Dust Bowl is a famous example of a severe drought. Earthquake                    An earthquake is a sudden shift or movement in the tectonic plate in the Earth's crust. On the surface, this is manifested by a moving and shaking of the ground, and can be massively damaging to poorly built structures. The most powerful earthquakes can destroy even the best built of structures. In addition, they can trigger secondary disasters, such as tsunamis and volcanic eruptions. Earthquakes occur along fault lines, and are unpredictable. They are capable of killing hundreds of thousands of people, such as in the 1976 Tangshan and 2004 Indian Ocean earthquakes. Famine                         Famine is a natural disaster characterized by a widespread lack of food in a region, and can be characterized as a lack of agriculture foodstuffs, a lack of livestock, or a general lack of all foodstuffs required for basic nutrition and survival. Famine is almost always caused by pre-existing conditions, such as drought, but its effects may be exacerbated by social factors, such as war. Particularly devastating examples include the Ethiopian famine and the Irish Potato Famine. Fire                 A fire is a natural disaster that may destroy ecosystems like grasslands, forests causing great loss of life, property, livestock and wildlife. Bush fires, forest fires and mine fires are generally started by lightning, but also by human negligence or arson, and can burn thousands of square kilometers. An example of a severe forest fire is the Oakland Hills firestorm. A mine fire started in Centralia, Pennsylvania in 1962 decimated the town and continues to burn. Some of the biggest city fires are The Great Chicago Fire, The Great Fire of London, and The San Francisco Fire. Flood                           A flood is a natural disaster caused by too much rain or water in a location, and could be caused by many different sets of conditions. Floods can be caused by prolonged rainfall from a storm, including thunderstorms, rapid melting of large amounts of snow, or rivers which swell from excess precipitation upstream and cause widespread damage to areas downstream, or less frequently the bursting of man-made dams. A river which floods particularly often is the Huang He in China, and a particularly damaging flood was the Great Flood of 1993. Hail                             A hailstorm is a natural disaster where a thunderstorm produces a numerous amount of hailstones which damage the location in which they fall. Hailstorms can be especially devastating to farm fields, ruining crops and damaging equipment. A particularly damaging hailstorm hit Munich, Germany on August 31, 1986, felling thousands of trees and causing millions of dollars in insurance claims. Skeleton Lake was named so after 300-600 people were killed by a hailstorm. Heat                            A heat wave is a disaster characterized by heat which is considered extreme and unusual in the area in which it occurs. Heat waves are rare and require specific combinations of weather events to take place, and may include temperature inversions, katabatic winds, or other phenomena. The worst heat wave in recent history was the European Heat Wave of 2003. Hurricane                A hurricane is a low-pressure cyclonic storm system which forms over the oceans. It is caused by evaporated water which comes off of the ocean and becomes a storm. The Coriolis Effect causes the storms to spin, and a hurricane is declared when this spinning mass of storms attains a wind speed greater than 74mph. In different parts of the world hurricanes are known as cyclones or typhoons. The former occur in the Indian Ocean, while the latter occur in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. The most damaging hurricane in the United States was Hurricane Katrina, which hit the United States Gulf Coast in 2005. Impact event                 Impact events are caused by the collision of large meteoroids, asteroids or comets (generically: bolides) with Earth and may sometimes be followed by mass extinctions of life. The magnitude of the disaster is inversely proportional to its rate of occurrence, because small impactors are much more numerous than large ones. Landslide                 A landslide is a disaster closely related to an avalanche, but instead of occurring with snow, it occurs involving actual elements of the ground, including rocks, trees, parts of houses, and anything else which may happen to be swept up. Landslides can be caused by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, or general instability in the surrounding land. Mudslides, or mud flows, are a special case of landslides, in which heavy rainfall causes loose soil on steep terrain to collapse and slide downwards - these occur with some regularity in parts of California after periods of heavy rain. Mudslide                A mudslide is a slippage of mud because of poor drainage of rainfall through soil. An underlying cause is often deforestation or lack of vegatation. Some mudslides are massive and can decimate large areas. On January 10, 2005 at 1:20pm in La Conchita, a massive mudslide buried four blocks of the town in over 30 feet of earth. Ten people were killed by the slide and 14 were injured. Of the 166 homes in the community, fifteen were destroyed and 16 more were tagged by the county as uninhabitable. Sink hole                 A sinkhole is a localized depression in the surface topography, usually caused by the collapse of a subterranean structure, such as a cave. Although rare, large sinkholes that develop suddenly in populated areas can lead to the collapse of buildings and other structures. Solar flare                  A solar flare is a violent explosion in the Sun's atmosphere with an energy equivalent to tens of millions of hydrogen bombs. Solar flares take place in the solar corona and chromosphere, heating the gas to tens of millions of kelvins and accelerating electrons, protons and heavier ions to near the speed of light. They produce electromagnetic radiation across the spectrum at all wavelengths from long-wave radio signals to the shortest wavelength gamma rays. Solar flare emmissions are a danger to orbitting satellites, manned space missions, communications systems, and power grid systems. Storm surge           A storm surge is an onshore rush of water associated with a low pressure weather system, typically a tropical cyclone. Storm surge is caused primarily by high winds pushing on the ocean's surface. The wind causes the water to pile up higher than the ordinary sea level. Storm surges are particularly damaging when they occur at the time of a high tide, combining the effects of the surge and the tide. The highest storm surge ever recorded was produced by the 1899 Bathurst Bay Hurricane, which caused a 13 m (43 feet) storm surge at Bathurst Bay, Australia. In the US, the greatest recorded storm surge was generated by Hurricane Camille, which produced a storm surge in excess of 25 feet (7.6 m). Thunderstorm                        A thunderstorm is a form of severe weather characterized by the presence of lightning and its attendant thunder, often accompanied by copious rainfall, hail and on occasion snowfall and tornadoes. Tornado                A tornado is a natural disaster resulting from a thunderstorm. Tornadoes are violent currents of wind which can blow at up to 318mph. Tornadoes can occur one at a time, or can occur in large tornado outbreaks along a squall line. The worst tornado ever recorded in terms of wind speed was the tornado which swept through Moore, Oklahoma on May 3, 1999. This tornado had wind speeds of 318mph and was the strongest ever recorded. Tsunami                  A tsunami is a giant wave of water which rolls into the shore of an area with a height of over 15 m (50 ft). It comes from Japanese words meaning harbor and wave. Tsunamis can be caused by undersea earthquakes as in the 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake, or by landslides such as the one which occurred at Lituya Bay, Alaska. The tsunami generated by the 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake currently ranks as the deadliest tsunami in recorded history. Volcanic eruption            This natural disaster is caused by the eruption of a volcano, and eruptions come in many forms. They range from daily small eruptions which occur in places; like Kilauea, in Hawaii, or extremely infrequent supervolcano eruptions in places like Lake Toba. Recent large volcanic eruptions include that of Mount St. Helens and Krakatoa, occurring in 1980 and 1883, respectively. Winter storm              A snowstorm is a winter storm in which the primary form of precipitation is snow. When such a storm is accompanied by winds above 32 mph that severely reduce visibility, it becomes a blizzard. Hazards from snowstorms and blizzards include traffic-related accidents, hypothermia for those unable to find shelter, as well as major disruptions to transportation and fuel and power distribution systems. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disaster http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Copyrights     Top 10 deadliest natural disasters Note: This list excludes diseases and famines, which would otherwise occupy the entire list. Rank   Event   Location   Date   Death Toll (Estimate)   1. 1931 China floods China 01931-01-01July-November, 1931 2,000,000–4,000,000*[2] 2. 1887 Yellow River flood China 01887-01-01September-October, 1887 900,000–2,000,000 3. 1556 Shaanxi earthquake Shaanxi Province, China 01556-01-01January 23, 1556 830,000 4. 1970 Bhola cyclone Bangladesh 01970-01-01November 13, 1970 500,000 5. 1839 India Cyclone India 01839-01-01November 25, 1839 300,000 6. 526 Antioch earthquake Antioch, Turkey 00526-05-20May 20, 526 250,000 7. 1976 Tangshan earthquake Tangshan, Hebei, China 01976-07-28July 28, 1976 242,000 8. 1920 Haiyuan earthquake Haiyuan, Ningxia-Gansu, China 01920-12-16December 26, 1920 240,000 9. 1975 Banqiao Dam flood Zhumadian, Henan Province, China 01975-08-07August 7, 1975 90,000–230,000 10. 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake/tsunami Indian Ocean 02004-12-26December 26, 2004 229,866 * Estimate by Nova's sources are close to 4 million and yet Encarta's sources report as few as 1 million. Expert estimates report wide variance.  Deadliest natural disasters by type of event Event   Event name   Location   Date   Death Toll (Estimate)   Avalanche Wellington avalanche United States 01910-03-01March 1, 1910 00000096 96 Blizzard Iran Blizzard Iran 01972-02-01February 1972 00004000 4,000 Drought Great Famine of 1876–78 India 01921-01-011876–1878 05000000 25,250,000 Earthquake Shaanxi Earthquake China 01556-01-01January 23, 1556 00830000 830,000 Flood 1931 China floods China 01931-01-011931 04000000 2,000,000–4,000,000 Hailstorm Roopkund, Uttaranchal India 00800-01-019th century 00000600 200–600 Heat wave 2003 European heat wave Europe 02003-01-01June-August 2003 00037451 37,451 Landslide 1999 Vargas mudslides Venezuela December 1999 00020006 20,006 Limnic Eruption Lake Nyos Cameroon 01986-01-01August 21, 1986 00001746 1,746 Pandemic Spanish influenza Worldwide 01918-01-011918–1920 100000000 20,000,000-100,000,000 Tornado Saturia-Manikganj Sadar Tornado Bangladesh 01989-04-26April 26, 1989 00001300 1,300 Tropical cyclone 1970 Bhola cyclone Bangladesh 01970-11-13November 13, 1970 00500000 200,000–500,000 Tsunami 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami Indian Ocean 02004-12-26December 26, 2004 00285000 230,000 Volcano Mount Tambora Indonesia 01815-01-011815 00092000 92,000 Wildfire Peshtigo Fire United States 01871-10-08October 8, 1871 00002000 2,000   Sourcc: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_natural_disasters_by_death_toll#Top_10_deadliest_natural_disasters_.5B1.5D   Natural Disasters U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Preparedness Earthquake Fire or Wildfire Flood & Dam Failure Hurricane & High Wind Landslide Thunderstorm Tornadoes Tsunami Volcano Extreme Cold Extreme Heat   Alabama Emergency Management Agency 5898 County Road 41 P.O. Drawer 2160 Clanton, Alabama 35046-2160 (205) 280-2200 (205) 280-2495 FAX ema.alabama.gov/ ·   Emergency Alert System (EAS) ·   National Weather Service –Severe Weather Forecast ·   NOAA Streaming Weather Radio – All Hazards ·   NOAA Weather Radio Frequencies – All Hazards   What to Do During a Tornado If you are under a tornado WARNING, seek shelter immediately! If you are in: Then: A structure (e.g. residence, small building, school, nursing home, hospital, factory, shopping center, high-rise building) Go to a pre-designated shelter area such as a safe room, basement, storm cellar, or the lowest building level. If there is no basement, go to the center of an interior room on the lowest level (closet, interior hallway) away from corners, windows, doors, and outside walls. Put as many walls as possible between you and the outside. Get under a sturdy table and use your arms to protect your head and neck. Do not open windows. A vehicle, trailer, or mobile home Get out immediately and go to the lowest floor of a sturdy, nearby building or a storm shelter. Mobile homes, even if tied down, offer little protection from tornadoes. The outside with no shelter Lie flat in a nearby ditch or depression and cover your head with your hands. Be aware of the potential for flooding. Do not get under an overpass or bridge. You are safer in a low, flat location. Never try to outrun a tornado in urban or congested areas in a car or truck. Instead, leave the vehicle immediately for safe shelter. Watch out for flying debris. Flying debris from tornadoes causes most fatalities and injuries.     Paper: Two pages MLA, works cited. Discuss a specific natural disaster in the United States in the past 50 years, including the harm to the ecosystem and the biodiversity of the region. Also include the steps that were taken to rebuild not only the structures but also the biodiversity of the area affected.   ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   ES Unit 2:  Renewable & Non Renewable Energy How Energy Affects the Environment Energy has been a part of human existence for thousands of years, ever since people first used fires to cook and stay warm. Energy is fundamental to modern life. Energy turns on your lights, heats water for your shower, keeps you warm in the winter, and powers your family’s car and television. Currently, most of our energy is obtained by burning fossil fuels (oil, coal, and natural gas) —formed over millions of years from the remains of plants and animals. It took the Earth about one million years to produce the fossil fuels we consume in a single year, and we are using fossil fuels at faster and faster rates. Even if supplies were unlimited (which they are not), the environmental problems caused by our use of fossil fuels would still require us to develop alternative sources of energy and increase the efficiency of our energy use.   Energy and the Earth Energy production and use account for nearly 80% of all air pollution.l The availability of “cheap” fossil fuels has powered huge changes since the onset of the Industrial Era. However, this has come at a high price. Pollution caused by fossil fuels at every stage of use (extraction, transport, refinement, burning, and waste disposal)has caused or worsened environmental and health problems.             Human Health: Air pollution from fossil fuels causes adverse environmental effects by contaminating the food chain, our water supply, and our air. Some of the health symptoms of pollution are headaches, asthma, lung disease, skin damage, cancer, eye irritation and heart disease.             Environmental Impacts:             Acid Rain and Mercury Pollution from coal power plants damage vegetation, wildlife, and human health. Oil Spills and Energy-Related Toxic Wastes have devastated marine ecosystems and contaminated soil. Global Warming and Climate Change are caused primarily by fossil fuel use. Rising concentrations of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases are warming the Earth.Carbon dioxide, a heat-trapping gas released when fossil fuels are burned, is the number one contributor to global warming. In the 21st century, the amount of warming and the severity of its impacts will depend on how much, and how soon, we reduce our fossil fuel use.  In recent decades, remarkable progress has been made in developing sustainable energy production methods that are far less polluting. In the 21st century we will move away from fossil fuels and nuclear power and make the switch to clean energy technologies. This transition is already underway. The U.S. Department of Energy has estimated that America could potentially produce up to 70% of its total energy from sun, wind, water, geothermal, and biomass resources within the next 40 years. By tapping the limitless potential of renewable sources such as the sun and wind, we can produce the energy we need in environmentally sustainable ways. Switching to clean, renewable energy sources will create tremendous benefits to society, including huge reductions in pollution, improved human health, and greater energy security.   The United States, with less than 5% of the world’s population, uses 25% of all energy consumed worldwide. Over the course of a lifetime, the energy used by the average American is the equivalent of 4,800 barrels of oil. The average person in the United Kingdom and Japan each consumes half as much energy as the average American. Coal: 52% Nuclear Power: 19% Natural Gas & Petroleum: 18% Hydroelectric & Renewable Energy: 11% Coal, the most polluting fossil fuel, is the source of over 50% of the total electricity produced in the U.S.   Fossil-fuel Dependency With the growing concerns over the high use of fossil-fuels, such as gas, oil, and coal, people, businesses, and governments are wondering what alternatives are available. The prices of oil and gasoline have reached sky-high levels. There is also the knowledge that oil supplies will not last forever, especially when worldwide consumption is increasing. As consumptions increases, supplies dwindle and become more and more expensive to extract. Supplies of Coal are more abundant, yet this still presents the problem of pollution and as these supplies decrease we are forced to use less pure and more polluting supplies.. The burning fossil-fuels releases greenhouse gases, namely carbon dioxide into the atmosphere that were previously trapped in the fuel. These gases contribute to the atmospheric greenhouse effect, causing more of the suns energy to be trapped and increasing the planet’s overall temperature. This climate change through our heavy use of fossil fuels in turn melt the polar ice caps, consequently affecting our ocean levels which then impacts weather patterns, agriculture, health, and our environment. While nuclear energy is often presented as an environmentally-friendly approach to energy, there are still risks from the disposal of radioactive waste. Furthermore, scientists believe that the world’s uranium fuel will run out in fifty years. The infrastructures for hydrogen fuel cells, which could be used in cars, for example, have not become a reality yet. It is therefore time to examine some of the developing sources that will create clean, sustainable energy for the future. The chart above shows the economic cost of energy prices (by U.S. Cents per kilowatt-hour), for new power plants coming online in 2013. While solar energy seems the most expensive, industry experts say the price will drop with time as more investment is made into improving the technology. Solar Energy Solar energy can warm our houses, heat bath water, and generate electricity. Solar energy uses special panels to harness the energy of the sun’s rays. There are no emissions from solar-powered systems. While at one time this form of clean energy was considered prohibitively expensive, the price has been dropping consistently for years, and is expected to continue to do so. Perhaps the major drawback to solar energy is collecting energy when the sun isn’t shining or in areas where there is a lack of sunlight. Solar panels have batteries to store energy for overcast days and night time. Many people are using solar energy for their homes and businesses. By installing solar panels the roof of one’s home, for example, one could power an entire household without using other forms of energy. As the panels are lightweight and can be used on existing structures it would be possible to create power in very crowded areas and cities without having to disrupt the existing infrastructure and buildings.   Biomass Energy Biomass energy, or bioenergy, is humanity’s oldest source of renewable energy. It is a form of solar energy produced by plants through photosynthesis. It is stored in organic matter such as wood, agricultural wastes, and animal wastes. Biomass can be converted into liquid or gaseous fuels, or it can be burned to generate electricity.  Recent advances are making it economical to draw energy from plant materials. They can be converted into liquid or gaseous fuels, or they can be burned to generate electricity.   Wind Energy Like solar power, wind power has many applications for “distributed energy.” This term means that power can be made on a small scale near the consumer. Wind power uses turbines to created energy from moving air currents. No emissions are created, and like solar energy, batteries store energy for calm days without wind. Europe, in particular, has made a huge use of wind power. Denmark, for example, currently gets 20 percent of its total energy needs from large wind turbines all across the countryside. The drawbacks to wind power are that the turbines needed to harness it can be considered ugly, and can create noise pollution. Wind is the fastest growing energy source. Denmark already gets about 10% of its electricity from wind power   Hydro Energy While relatively a new concept, the tidal process of the ocean utilizes the natural motion of the tides to fill reservoirs, which are then slowly discharged through electricity-producing turbines. Another method includes using buoy-like devices that created energy from the bobbing motion caused by the waves and tides. Hydro energy has been used in countries such as The Netherlands to great effect. In good locations, wave energy density can average 65 megawatts per mile of coastline. According to the Department of Energy’s “Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy" website, thermal heat from the oceans can also produce energy, while creating desalinated water in the process. Hydropower is the largest share of nonfossil fuel energy currently in use. (Note: Although it does not produce greenhouse gas emissions, hydropower affects the  environment by flooding valuable habitat and by blocking fish from reaching their spawning grounds.)   Most renewable energy systems have no fuel costs once they are built.   What You Can Do When you use less energy, you are reducing your share of the pollution that fouls the air and water, damages human health, harms wildlife, and contributes to global warming. Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency are key solutions to global warming and its impacts. Along with their environmental pluses, their economic benefits include: Greater energy security and protection from potential instabilities of the international oil market. More energy dollars circulating in the U.S. economy Stronger U.S. competitiveness in the changing global energy market   Be Energy-Smart! Wasting energy is pointless and hurts the earth. Energy efficiency does not mean “doing  without,” or shivering in the dark. It simply means being smart about our energy use. Conserving energy and using energy-efficient products help reduce environmental problems, create new jobs, and save money. When less energy is used, less energy generation is needed. By extending the supply of nonrenewable resources, energy efficiency gives us more time to develop other energy sources that will free us from our dependence on nonrenewable fossil fuels. According to a recent study by the Union of Concerned Scientists5, the three areas of greatest consumer impact on the environment are how we go from place to place, what we eat, and how we operate our homes (heating, cooling and lighting). These three arenas account for about three-quarters of our consumer impacts on global warming, air pollution, water pollution, and habitat destruction. Environmental action is the sum of all the little things we do each day. Day-to-day choices can have an enormous impact when we all act together.   For the individual, you can help conserve energy by switching to alternative energy sources, and by using energy efficient electrical appliances. By visiting the website of Energy Star, a government program that works for energy efficiency, you can find out ways to save energy and money. According to Energy Star, Americans have “saved enough energy to power 24 million homes and avoid greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from 20 million cars - all while saving $10 billion.”  Try buying appliances such as dishwashers and refrigerators that have the “Energy Star” seal of energy efficiency. Use energy-efficient light sources such as compact fluorescent light bulbs that use less energy than standard light bulbs. Insulation helps use less energy heating and cooling the home and buildings. If available in your area, try switching to “green energy” made from clean sources.   Suggestions 1. The average family spends $1,500 a year on energy bills, with nearly half of that spent on heating and cooling. Basic home improvement as well as more efficient equipment, can definitely help you save on energy costs. Also, don’t underestimate the simple things. For example, shades and drapes around your home can help you conserve energy and reduce costs. During winter, open window shades or drapes to let in the natural warmth of the sun, and close them at night to insulate windows against heat loss. In hot climates, closed shades or blinds help keep rooms cool. Finally, many local utilities and contractors offer home energy audit and home improvement services, which help you identify and fix areas in your home where you may be wasting energy. Many utilities also offer low-income assistance for winter heating bills. Check your utility bill stuffers for services they may offer. www.energystar.gov 2. Common household problems such as hot, cold, or drafty rooms, and the growth of mold and mildew are often the result of inefficient heating/cooling systems and inadequate insulation. Addressing this issue can be as simple as sealing air leaks, adding insulation and replacing windows. For cost-effective solutions, visit ENERGY STAR’s Home Improvement site at www.energystar.gov/homeimprovement. 3. Sealing up your home is one of the most cost effective ways to improve your home’s comfort and reduce energy costs. Hidden gaps and cracks in a home can add up to as much airflow as an open window and cause your heating and cooling system to work harder, use more energy, and cost more. Seal these leaks with caulk, spray foam, and weather stripping. Next, inspect your attic, to be sure it’s properly insulated — it’s the easiest place to add insulation and make a big impact on energy bills. Together, sealing air leaks and adding insulation can reduce your annual energy bill by 10 percent and improve comfort. Many of these steps are easy to do yourself, or you can hire a professional contractor to help. For details on how to do it yourself, get the ENERGY STAR Home Sealing DIY Guide. Finally, keep your fireplace damper closed, unless a fire is going. 4. To keep your home’s heating and/or cooling system running at peak performance, have a licensed and insured contractor check your equipment seasonally. Have your heating system checked in the Fall, and your cooling system checked in the Spring. If your cooling or heating system is more than 10 – 15 years old, it could be considerably less efficient than newer models. Changing out old equipment with ENERGY STAR qualified models can cut your annual energy costs by 20 percent. To find a qualified contractor to have new equipment installed, or to perform any home improvements such as home sealing or duct work, plan ahead.Schedule home energy audits during the spring or fall, since contractors tend to get busy around summer and winter months. 5. ENERGY STAR qualified programmable thermostats automatically adjust your home’s temperature setting to help save energy when you’re asleep or not at home. When used properly, a programmable thermostat with 4 temperature settings can save you up to $100 on annual energy costs. 6. Making your home more energy-efficient helps to reduce air pollution and prevent global warming. The average house is responsible for twice the greenhouse gas emissions as the average car, annually (22,000 lbs. vs. 11,500 lbs.). That’s because every time you flip on a light switch, run your dishwasher or turn on your air conditioner or furnace, you use energy, which means more pollution from power plants. The more energy we save at home, the more we can help protect the environment. 7. There are many different actions you can take on your own. Regardless of what kind of heating or air conditioning system you own, routine maintenance will improve your comfort and save energy around the home. By regularly changing and cleaning air filters in your home’s heating and cooling system, you will help them perform more efficiently. 8. Ceiling fans improve comfort in both winter and summer. During winter, run them clockwise (upward motion) at a low speed, to circulate heat that gathers near the ceiling. In summer, or in hot climates, run them counterclockwise (or downward) to cool. Most fans have a switch to reverse the spin. When cooling, always turn off your ceiling fan when you leave the room, just as you do your lights (a fan only cools you, not a room, by creating a “wind-chill effect”). 9. Lighting can account for as much as 20 percent of your household energy use. Don’t sit in the dark, but whenever possible, keep lights off if they’re not in use, and replace high-use, standard incandescent bulbs with efficient compact fluorescent bulbs (look for the ENERGY STAR label). These bulbs use 2/3 less energy and last up to 10 times longer. Replacing 5 of your home’s most frequently used lights will save $60 each year on energy costs. 10. Almost all home improvement projects can incorporate energy savings. In winter, sealing and insulation can make a big difference. For kitchen, bathroom, home office and other remodeling projects, don’t forget to incorporate energy-saving appliances, lighting, window or skylights, ventilation fans, and other products. Look for the government’s ENERGY STAR to save energy, money, and help the environment. Other recommendations are available at  www.energystar.gov/homeimprovement. 11.  Practice the “Three R’s”: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Did you know...along with reducing waste in landfills and conserving material resources, recycling saves energy and reduces pollution. By recycling a one-foot tall stack of newspapers, you save enough energy to power a hot shower every day for a week. For every soft drink bottle you recycle, you save enough energy to run a television set for an hour and a half. Making aluminum from recycled material uses only a tenth as much electricity as making the same aluminum from bauxite ore. When you throw away an aluminum can, you waste as much energy as if you filled the can half full of gasoline and poured it onto the ground.  Also, see if you can create your own energy, such as solar of wind, for your home. Look into energy-efficient vehicles and vehicles that use green energy. Check buying guides as well for more information. U.S. Department of Energy - Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy A Consumer's Guide to Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy   Your Vehicle Your fuel costs. Pollution. Our country's dependence on foreign oil. The vehicle you choose to drive and how you drive it affect all of these issues. To minimize these effects, here you can learn about advanced vehicle technologies, alternative fuels, and ways to improve your vehicle's fuel efficiency. RESEARCH THE LINKS BELOW Alternative Fuel Vehicles  Power a vehicle with alternative fuels, such as biodiesel, electricity, ethanol, natural gas, or propane. Electric Bicycles  Help extend your bicycling trips without fatigue. Electric Vehicles  Drive a vehicle that produces no exhaust or emissions. Fuel Cell Vehicles  Learn about hydrogen-powered vehicles with the potential to significantly reduce energy use and emissions. Fuel Efficiency  Compare the fuel economy of different vehicles and learn tips for improving your vehicle's fuel efficiency. Hybrid Electric Vehicles  Drive a vehicle that combines the internal combustion engine with an electric vehicle's battery and motor for improved fuel efficiency and reduced emissions. Neighborhood Electric Vehicles  Consider a vehicle for traveling short distances where traffic, parking, and air pollution may be concerns. Learn More Product Information Alternative Fueling Station Locator DOE Alternative Fuels Data Center Find a Car fueleconomy.gov GreenerCars.com American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy Department of Energy Resources FreedomCar and Vehicle Technologies Program   Conclusion So if we know how to get energy in non-polluting ways, why aren’t we making the switch faster? We have relied on fossil fuels for over a hundred years and nuclear power for over thirty years. It has taken time to realize how much these fuels are damaging our environment. Now the environmental impacts are well known and new technologies that do not pollute the earth are available. However, many companies and governments have invested massive resources in fossil fuels and nuclear power, building energy and transportation systems that rely almost exclusively on these fuels. Governments fear that their economies will be hurt in the transition; the fossil fuel and nuclear industries fear that they will lose money; consumers fear that they will have to do without; those who work in fossil-fuel industries fear that they will lose their livelihood. Change of this magnitude is daunting. Similar concerns have arisen in the past during fundamental societal transitions (consider the concerns of the manufacturers of horse-driven buggies). Yet the reality is that a transition to clean, renewable energy sources is inevitable. The good news is that this change presents tremendous potential to transform our society in positive ways. Changing to clean energy and installing energy efficiency retrofits will create millions of new jobs. Cleaner air and water will result in billions of dollars in avoided health care costs. Preventing runaway escalation in heat-trapping carbon dioxide emissions is the best insurance policy we can buy against the potentially devastating worldwide impacts of global warming and climate change. If we mobilize our financial and human resources to make this essential transition sooner rather than later, we can gain the benefits sooner while minimizing economic disruption and ensuring a livable planet for future generations.   Assignment: Research renewable and non-renewable energy sources and the uses for each. Make a list of each, their availability, and the disadvantages of each. What activities do we use energy for at home? What is energy used for in school? What steps could our school take to conserve energy? Which of your activities depend on electricity? What choices you we have about our energy use? What is the current status of our energy supply? What problems might we encounter in the future if we rely too heavily on these resources? What are the advantages/disadvantages for a society to switch from non renewable to renewable sources of energy Is switching to renewable energy sources an easy process? Is it a necessary process? How long will it take? Why don’t companies manufacture more products that use renewable energy? Does U.S. government policy affect these decisions? Compare 20th century inventions with demand for energy. Create a timeline of 20th Century, inserting inventions which require increased energy use (automobile, airplane, air conditioner, home electricity, heater, computer…..) Note western society’s increased dependence on energy to operate increasingly demanding modern innovations. When fossil fuels become scarce, what sources will supply our energy needs? Write about the future.   DAILY CHOICES MAKE A DIFFERENCE: HOW TO REDUCE POLLUTION THROUGH ENERGY CHOICES AT HOME AND AT SCHOOL   i World Energy Consumption, Selected Countries, 19972 Sources & Links:   Earth Day Network   www.earthday.net Environmental Protection Agency — www.epa.gov. Student Center — www.epa.gov/students; see in particular “Acid Rain: A Student’s First Sourcebook,” www.epa.gov/acidrain/student/student2.html. Climate Change Information and Outreach Program— www.epa.gov/globalwarming offers a comprehensive website about climate change impacts and solutions, plus other teaching resources and useful links. U.S. Department of Energy energy education resources available at:: Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Network (EREN): See www.eren.doe.gov/solarschools to learn about U.S. schools that are installing solar and other renewable energy systems, often with accompanying curriculum and data-monitoring. National Energy Information Center, Energy Information Administration, “Energy Education Resources: Kindergarten through 12th Grade,” Room 1F-048, 1000 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, D.C. 20585; tel: (202) 586-8800. National Renewable Energy Lab: See especially: “Clean Energy 101” at www.nrel.gov/ceb.html.