Raven and Rocket stand on a riverbank below a big dam. Beside it, a staircase of small pools climbs up the hill.
"Who built stairs for water?" Rocket asks.
A salmon leaps from one pool into the next. Raven points. "Look! What do you notice the fish is doing?"
Nova follows the fish with her bright eyes. "Interesting," she says. "Every energy source changes nature a little. Sometimes people find clever fixes."
Using energy resources affects the environment in many ways. Scientists study the good and the bad of each one.
Burning fossil fuels releases gases and other pollution into the air.
Digging coal from the surface can remove soil and rock and change a whole landscape.
Dams can block fish that swim upstream. Fish ladders, like the water stairs, help fish such as salmon get past.
Wind turbines make electricity without polluting the air. But their blades are noisy, and birds and bats can fly into them.
| Energy source | One effect on the environment |
|---|---|
| Burning coal | pollution in the air |
| Surface coal mining | soil and rock removed |
| Hydropower dam | can block fish swimming upstream |
| Wind turbines | no air pollution, but risky for birds and bats |
| Statement | True or false? |
|---|---|
| Burning fossil fuels releases pollution into the air. | ? |
| Renewable resources have no effects on nature at all. | ? |
| People can find ways to reduce harm, like fish ladders. | ? |
Scientists list the good and the bad of each energy source.
Wind makes no air pollution. But turbines are noisy, and birds and bats can fly into the blades.
Dams use moving water. But they can block fish, so people build fish ladders.
Coal gives lots of energy. But burning it pollutes the air, and mining it changes the land.
| Energy source | Does it pollute the air when making electricity? |
|---|---|
| Wind turbines | ? |
| Burning coal | ? |
| Hydropower dams | ? |
You weighed both sides like a scientist. Tomorrow we see how the Sun powers almost everything.