Energy is essential to life. It helps animals and plants grow, cooks our food, makes our cars moves and powers our appliances. In sustainability education, energy topics can include:
- Electricity
- Natural / LPG Gas
- Transport
- Carbon Footprint
- Greenhouse Gas
- Air Quality
The production and use of energy has environmental impacts, the most significant of these is greenhouse gas emissions:
Renewable energy comes from sources that can be renewed or will never run out. This includes energy from on-going natural phenomena such as wind, sunlight, tides, gravity and geothermal heat (e.g. hot springs from deep underground).
Renewable energy has a lower environmental impact.
Non-renewable energy sources are those that cannot be replaced when they have been used. When they’re gone, they’re gone! Coal, natural gas and crude oil, all of which are fossil fuels, are examples of non-renewable energy sources.
Non-renewable energy has a higher environmental impact.
Every person can reduce their greenhouse gas emissions simply by being smarter with their energy use, especially energy that comes from burning fossil fuels. Making some really easy changes to the way you use energy can really help to decrease your greenhouse gas emissions and ensure that we protect the environment.