Air Quality Health Index classroom kit, grades 5 and 6, environment: chapter 10

E. Electricity from Natural Resources

Electricity can be made using renewable resources or non-renewable resources.

There are many people in Canada trying to make electricity with less impact on the environment. This will help improve air quality and lower the AQHI.

There are many ways to make electricity using renewable energy.

1. Use Energy from Heat
   Biomass: Burn biomass to turn a wheel and make electricity.
   Geothermal: Use heat from deep in the earth to produce steam that generates electricity.
   Solar: Use the sun’s heat energy to make electricity.
2. Use Energy from Light
   Solar: Use the sun’s light energy to make electricity.
3. Use Energy from Height
   Hydro: Use the flow of water from high ground to lower ground to turn a wheel and make electricity.
4. Use Energy from Motion
   Instream: Let a stream turn a wheel to make electricity without needing a dam.
   Tidal: Let the coming and going of the tides turn a wheel and make electricity.
   Wind: Let the wind turn a wheel to make electricity.

Zap It!

Energy is not created or destroyed, so you need energy to make electricity. The key is finding sources of energy that have the least impact on the environment.

• What would be the perfect source of energy?
• Would it use a living or non-living resource?

Did You Know?

In Canada, most electricity is made using hydro. After that, the most popular is steam, nuclear, combustion turbines, wind, internal combustion, and tidal.^Footnote1