Today, Múinteoir Clíona told us all about energy sources and how we use them to create electricity for our homes.
Some resources are renewable (solar power, wind power, hydro-power) while others are non-renewable (fossil fuels e.g. oil, coal).
It is much better for the environment if we avoid burning fossil fuels, as they release a lot of carbon dioxide into the air, which leads to global warming and climate change.
Sadly, at the moment, Ireland gets 90% of its electric power from non-renewable resources
Please download the activity sheet to complete all the exercises below!
Energy Sources
Have a look at the following images and answer the questions in the activity sheet!
An important thing that we can all do ourselves everyday in our homes is to conserve electricity.
List 5 ways you can conserve energy around your home.
1.___________________________________________
2.___________________________________________
3.___________________________________________
4.___________________________________________
5.___________________________________________
The Perfect Eco Home
Múinteoir Cliona built her very own Eco House today, complete with renewable electricity sources.
Scientists, architects, engineers and interior designers are working together to try to find clever ways to make sure our homes don't waste energy or the earth’s resources.
Here are some of the clever ideas they have come up with in recent times:
Energy efficient appliances
Designing appliances (like dishwashers and washing machines) that are extremely energy efficient - meaning they use as little electricity and water as possible.
Wood
Ensuring that any wood used in the home (e.g. in furniture, kitchen cabinets, staircase) comes from sustainable forests - this means that for every tree that is cut down, another is planted.
Fabric
There has been huge progress in recent years in developing better methods of creating fabrics. Most houses have quite a lot of fabric - in curtains, cushion covers, sofa covers, bed linen. Organic fabric is best - this means that little or no chemicals were used in the manufacturing process. Chemicals can hugely pollute the towns and villages where fabrics are produced and cause health problems in the fabric workers.
Locally-sourced items
Meaning that they weren't shipped or flown thousands of miles, which uses a lot of fuel and non-renewable resources.
The bedroom challenge
Using what we've just learnt, design your dream, ecofriendly bedroom. You might draw it as a floor plan (as if you are looking down on the room from above) like so:
Or an image that looks 3D, like this!
Add arrows and notes along the sides and bottom of your drawing ideas on how to make the room as ecofriendly as possible!
Grab a piece of paper or just use the space in the activity sheet - Download the activity sheet here!
