Book Two in the Youth and Climate Change Series
In Just Right: Climate Science for Young Readers Tom and Julie spend the summer with their grandfather on Cape Cod learning how the organs of the living Earth (atmosphere, oceans, Earth’s crust) work together as a system to maintain a livable climate. At the end of the book the children are worried about the effects on the climate of an atmosphere containing too much carbon. They decide that mankind must stop burning fossil fuels, and explore with Grandpa the idea of using solar, wind and water power instead. Tom decides to do a special project on solar power at school in his upcoming Earth Science class, and Julie then takes on water power as her next study subject. Grandpa will learn more about wind power because he has a small windmill on his Cape property.
Sun, Wind, and Water: Clean Energy for Young Readers follows Tom and Julie into school, where they convince their teachers to assist them with their special projects on solar and water power. In chapters on solar energy and water power we follow the children as they work in teams with other classmates to gather information on the workings of the technologies (solar panels, hydroelectric turbines) currently available for producing electricity without fossil fuels. They share this information with their classmates and with Grandpa, who in turn briefs them on what he uncovers about the workings of a wind turbine.
During spring vacation Grandpa and his two grandchildren take a trip to Samsø Island in Denmark, world renowned as ‘Energy Island,’ to learn how the island transitioned from fossil fuel dependent to fully independent in less than ten years. On the island they meet young Danes their age, who recount for them the steps taken by the island residents and give them a tour of the wind, solar, and bio-fuel projects that make the island a net exporter of alternative energy. Upon return to Boston the children learn that the nearby island of Martha’s Vineyard is making a similar transition from fossil fuels to solar and wind energy, and visit that island to learn more about an American community can become independent of carbon-emitting fossil fuels.
Sample Resource from Sun, Wind, and Water: Clean Energy for Young Readers
Book Two in the Youth and Climate Change ebook series capitalizes on the existence of ‘energy islands’ as teaching tools to help young people understand how alternative energy technologies can be combined to replace fossil fuels as sources of energy to heat our homes and factories and power our transportation systems (autos, buses, trains, subways). Samsø Island in Denmark is the foremost example of what is possible in this regard and will be featured in Sun, Wind, and Water: Clean Energy for Young Readers.
CONTENTS
THE MISSION: CLEAN ENERGY
1. ENERGY FROM THE SUN
2. SOLAR PANELS AND WHERE TO PUT THEM
3. WATER WHEELS AND GENERATORS
4. ENERGY FROM RIVERS AND TIDES
5. CAPTURING WIND ENERGY
6. CLEAN ENERGY FROM WHOLE COMMUNITIES
7. SAMSO: THE ENERGY ISLAND
8. HOW TO DANES PROVIDE SUN, WIND, AND BIOFUEL
9. OUR OWN ENERGY ISLAND: MARTHA'S VINEYARD
10. EMPOWERING COMMUNITIES WITH WIND
11. YOUNG ORGANIZERS FOR A CLEAN ENERGY FUTURE
RESOURCES
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
COPYRIGHT AND CREDITS