Let’s talk rubbish
SUSTAINABILITY STORIES
ARTICLE
Resources
DATE PUBLISHED
December 2020
How simple changes at home or school can help save our environment.
All over the world people rely on non-renewable energy to heat their homes, power their electronic devices, and power their cars. Non-renewable energy sources include coal, oil and natural gas which are known collectively as fossil fuels. Sadly, these energy sources cannot last forever, and once they are used up, they will be gone, so reducing the amount of energy we use each day is a great way to help save our environment for the people of the future.
Around 40% of the energy we use in our homes goes on heating or cooling. Instead of turning on the heater or air conditioner we can start to look at new ways to be sustainable always. Things like, closing the door to rooms that aren’t used, closing the blinds or curtains, or opening the windows to let the breeze in. Even using fans before using the air conditioner or to help move warm air around the house will help reduce energy use.
Another easy way to save energy, is to make sure you turn the lights off in rooms you’re not in and check that all your appliances are switched off before you leave the house.
Small changes like these go a long way.
Many renewable energy sources are also better for the environment than burning fossil fuels. They produce less pollution which will help protect the environment and provide us with cleaner air and water.
Renewable energy sources include:
Wind Power
Large wind turbines generate electricity from the power of the wind.
Solar Energy
Solar panels help to capture the energy from the sun’s rays to help heat or cool. They can also be turned into electricity using solar cells.
Hydropower
Water from a dam or a river can be used to spin turbines and generate electricity.
Currently in Australia the Government is working on the largest renewable energy project – Snowy 2.0. This renewable energy project will provide our country with low emission on-demand energy and lots of energy storage for our future.
You can learn more about this interesting project here: www.snowyhydro.com.au/snowy-20/about/
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