Sources of Energy Ways we can save energy.

What do we need energy for? Help us grow. Keep us warm. Lighting Moving about Cooking food Making things Powering machines

What are the sources of Energy? Fossil fuels such as coal gas, oil, The sun can be used for solar energy The wind for wind turbines Thermal energy underground Water power such as rivers and tidal energy for hydroelectric power and tidal power. Nuclear energy

Fossil Fuels Over recent years we have mostly used fossil fuels such as gas coal and oil for energy. Lots of our electricity is made from burning fossil fuels in power stations. But there are 2 big problems. 1 Fossil fuels are running out. 2 They pollute the air with carbon dioxide.

Solar Energy We can get energy from the sun. It is good because it is clean, but not so reliable as it is not always sunny in Britain.

Water Power We can get energy from rivers or seas. The water can push a turbine to make electricity or heat. Some of these projects involve huge dams and some can be small water mills. The water in the sea is always moving backwards and forwards(tides). People have started to use this power to make electricity.

Nuclear Power We can get electricity or heat from nuclear power. This is where we split tiny parts of cells in elements such as uranium. Nuclear is good because it does not pollute our atmosphere but it is bad because it can be dangerous to produce and it is difficult to get rid of the waste materials.

Geothermal Energy In some places in the world hot rocks are near the surface of the earth. This happens especially near volcanic areas. People have started to use this heat to make electricity.

Why do we need to save energy? Fossil fuels will eventually run out. Burning fuels causes pollution. We waste about 30% of energy consumed in the UK very year. This means we waste money. We could spend this money on something else.

How can we save energy? Lighting Use energy saving light bulbs. They last 10 times as long as normal bulbs and they save money. Turn off lights when we don’t need them. Heating Close doors to stop heat going out of buildings. Turn down the thermostat so we don’t heat rooms too much. Turn off appliances like computers and microwaves when we are not using them.

What can we do at Horsmonden Primary School? Become an eco school Try to get our Bronze award. Have an eco committee to monitor our progress, and make plans to make our school more eco friendly. Take part in Energy month in November. Design posters to remind everyone to switch off lights and close doors to save energy. Find out about different types of energy.