Alternative Energy: Beyond Fossil Fuels (Green Generation)

Description

We rely on energy to fuel our activities, but fossil fuels cause pollution. And their supply is running out. What can you do? Alternative energy sources such as water, wind, and sun provide a promising and environmentally friendly solution to our looming energy crisis. And simply conserving energy can help your family save money while protecting the planet. Join the Green Generation. Together we can make a world of difference.

Dana Meachen Rau is an author, editor, and illustrator of children's books. She has written more than 100 books for children, many of them nonfiction in subjects including astronomy, history, and geography, as well as numerous biographies. She lives in Burlington, Connecticut, with her husband and two children.

People have three main uses for energy: transportation, electricity, and heating/ cooling. The three main fossil fuels used to create this energy are coal, oil, and natural gas; but scientists estimate that the earth will run out of fossil fuels in forty to seventy years. Green energy is the alternative and includes renewable natural resources such as wind, water, and sunlight. Solar cells made of silicon harness the energy of the sun and convert it into electricity which can be used to power street lights, homes, and factories. While the sun is a free source of energy, the cost of converting from regular electricity to solar energy can be expensive. Wind turbines generate electricity from winds that blow at seven and a half miles per hour or more and require wind to generate any energy; but do not store energy as easily as other forms of green energy. Tapping into the natural water reservoirs that are heated beneath the earth and using the water or the steam generated produces geothermal energy. Using water in its natural environment either in the ocean or rivers, called hydropower, is already the leading source of renewable energy being used today. Biomass energy is produced when natural sources are used to create biofuels instead of being thrown away. After explaining the main types of green energy, Rau's final chapter gives readers useful pointers on how to conserve energy in their homes and community and how to help spread the word about conserving energy. Throughout the book, Rau includes quotes from notable people in history, fun facts and data for all chapters, relevant photographs, a glossary and index, and additional resources. This book from the "Green Generation" series is an invaluable resource on a relevant and critical topic.-- "Children's Literature" This series presents a concise overview of environmental issues and solutions in an attractive layout that will appeal to middle school students. Each title focuses on the depletion of our natural resources and ways to reverse the effects of human consumption, such as recycling, public transportation, saving energy, and buying local. Text boxes and quotes add to their overall appeal, while the colorful photographs complement the readable style of the text. These books will provide facts and inspiration to young environmentalists who want to initiate change on a local level. Science classes will find these useful for introductory research as well. Bibliography. Glossary. Index. Recommended.-- "Library Media Connection" This series presents lively, current introductions to environmental topics, while taking an unabashedly pro-green stance and stating environmental problems as the responsibility of each person to help solve. Each title uses a conversational style to convey information to students alongside photographs, charts, and sidebars for further information. The titles include further reading and suggested Web sites at http: //www.facthound.com. The informational text is enlivened by stories and quotations. Alternative Energy introduces five forms of non-fossil-fuel energy, presenting the scientific concepts at work as well as the pros and cons of each type of energy in a clear, repetitive format. The book concludes with ways students can save energy as another "alternative energy" source. Describing each concept as it is presented, this series entry makes a good introductory resource to the topic. Protecting the Planet is subtitled "Environmental Activism," but it functions as a status update to the quality of the world's air, water, soil, forests, and animals. Once it outlines the problems facing each of these environmental areas, the book discusses ways students can make positive improvements. As with Alternative Energy, this book works better as an introduction than as a comprehensive resource; however, it directly addresses readers and will draw them into the concepts so that they will wish to seek out further resources for reports and papers. For institutions wishing to bolster their environmental sections, this series will provoke discussion and a solid foundation for research.-- "VOYA" 2 STARS! This great little book introduces the topics of fossil fuel usage, the limited nature of fossil fuels, and alternative energy options. It is particularly praiseworthy for its refreshingly objective, but still enthusiastic, presentations on solar, wind, geothermal, hydro, and biomass energy. The best feature of the book is the last chapter, which presents practical energy savings that readers can realistically put into practice. Interesting, well written, and appropriately illustrated, the book is entertaining enough for general reading, but factual enough for use as a science text. Without question, this is the best young readers' book on the subject that I have seen.-- "SB&F"