Our planet’s weather offers some incredible solutions to our growing energy needs, and one of those solutions is wind power. Offshore and onshore wind farms are an increasingly familiar sight in many countries around the world. Wind farms tap into this clean, sustainable, and renewable form of energy. Find out how wind power works, where in the world it is being used, and how this green energy supply could be one answer to the energy problems that face us today.
Beneath Earth’s surface is a boundless source of energy - geothermal energy. Heated by our planet’s red-hot core, hot water and hot rock below the ground on which we walk already provides energy in many parts of the world, from Alaska to Hawaii. Discover the different forms of geothermal energy, how people are harnessing and using this rich supply, and how it could be an important part of our energy future.
Agricultural engineers are in the front line in the challenge to provide a secure food supply for our world. This timely book explores how engineers design methods, as well as machinery for growing and harvesting crops, to make farming more efficient. Real-life examples help students understand key concepts related to this important profession. With an overview of the engineering design process, readers are encouraged to apply the same steps into their own agricultural engineering challenge.
This informative title describes the details of three real case studies of investigative journalism about the environment. Stories include journalists following a trail of electronic waste to Africa, chemical pollution by a company affecting people's health, and unfair use of water resources. Readers will gain an understanding of the research process, the ethical standards journalists must follow, and the perseverance required to confirm a story and affect change.
Modern transportation lets us travel farther and faster than ever before, but these developments have come at a cost. This book explores ways we can move around without harming the planet. Case studies show how scientists are working on cleaner fuels and new forms of transportation in order to prevent pollution, which affects people’s health, and greenhouse gases, which contribute to climate change. Find out how we can contribute by changing our own transportation habits.
Plastic pollution is one of the most urgent environmental problems facing our planet. This timely title shows how we can stop plastics from doing further harm. Find out what plastics are, how they are made, and why they are so widely used. Case studies reveal the negative impact of plastics, especially micro beads and single-use plastics, on the oceans and coasts, as well as in our landfills and food chains.
Most of our energy has come from oil, gas, and coal. Find out how we can heat and light our buildings, travel, and power our computers and devices without harming the planet in this resourceful title. Extracting resources damages the environment, and burning them contributes to global warming, harms our health, and pollutes the air and water. Case studies show how scientists are investigating renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar power, how to make homes and buildings more energy efficient, and how we can use less energy by changing our own behavior.
More than half the world’s population live in cities, and that number is rising. Find out how we can create buildings and cities without harming the environment in this informative title. The growth of cities can lead to overcrowding, pollution from transportation and factories, and the release of greenhouse gases from buildings. Case studies show how scientists, architects, and planners are investigating how to build more energy-efficient houses and more sustainable cities.
Develop your STEAM skills as you design and build your very own biosphere and mini garden. This book contains step-by-step projects that give you clear instructions to make every element a model biosphere and mini garden needs, including a dome, water fountain, and pathways.
Pollution is seriously damaging our planet. Human activity and waste are harming the environment by polluting the air, water, and land. Discover the facts about where pollution comes from, where garbage really goes after we throw it away, and how we can reduce waste.
Human overpopulation is putting pressure on our planet and its natural resources.The more people there are, the more resources are consumed, harming the environment and depleting the world's supplies. Discover the facts about the world's growing population, which countries have the highest and lowest birth rates, and how overpopulation affects climate change.
Natural resources on Earth are at risk of running out. Using too many natural resources, such as water, trees, and fossil fuels, is putting pressure on our supplies and damaging the environment. Discover the facts about how resources are used around the world, which resources are renewable and non-renewable, and what the future of natural resource management looks like.
Our modern world runs on energy to power our homes and industries. We all know the problems with burning fossil fuels to create energy— it pollutes the planet and we are running out of these resources. Discover the facts about renewable and non-renewable energy resources, how our energy use contributes to global warming, and what the future of energy looks like.
Climate change is reshaping the planet before our eyes. From melting ice caps and rising sea levels to drought and destructive hurricanes, no corner of Earth is protected from the effects of global warming. Discover the facts about what climate change is doing—and will continue to do—to our planet, and how we might reduce its impact.
The huge variety of plants and animals that live on Earth is called biodiversity. As ecosystems are destroyed by climate change and human activity, plants and animals are becoming endangered and even extinct. Find out how the loss of biodiversity affects food chains and natural habitats, why it is important to humans, and how its loss threatens the health of all living things on the planet.
The year 2017 saw the most active and costly hurricane season on record. Moving photographs help tell the human stories of Harvey, hitting Texas and Louisiana; Irma, the strongest Atlantic basin hurricane ever recorded, pummeling Florida; and Maria, the worst natural disaster ever to hit Puerto Rico and Dominica. Detailed information tracks the paths of each storm, the clean-ups that followed, what remains to do.
It cost $10 billion to combat the wildfires in California in 2017 that scorched 300,000 acres of land and left 100,000 people displaced. With dry weather and drought bringing more catastrophic wildfires to the western United States and Canada, this timely title discusses the human and physical impacts of these and other fire disasters and how fire professionals and policymakers are combatting them.
A look at chameleons, including their habitats, physical characteristics such as their color-changing skin, behaviors, relationships with humans, and fragile status in the world today.
Make a simple refrigerator like pottery-maker Mohammed Bah Abba did that does not use electricity, or create little models of people out of ice like sculptor Néle Azevedo. This title gives readers both an understanding of the different states of matter and the skills to investigate great discoveries and works. Exciting and easy-to-understand experiments encourage budding scientists, inventors, engineers, and artists to stand on the shoulders of the curious and creative people who came before them.
Climate Change is a hot-button topic today and one that requires skill to examine and grasp different viewpoints. This book introduces readers to multiple perspectives on the topic and encourages them to objectively view local, national, and global connections to help them form knowledgeable points of view.
Time for a fossil hunt! Digging through a layer of sedimentary rock, scientists uncover many relics of prehistoric Earth. Tiny trilobites prove that a vast desert was once an ocean. Huge dinosaur fossils show where dinosaurs once roamed! With this title, readers will learn about the types of fossils, how they form, and why scientists study them today. This title includes engaging special features such as a fossil profile, a fossil comparison chart, formation diagrams, and more, all designed to introduce readers to the fascinating world of fossils.
This book discusses the science behind tornadoes and their effects. The chapters describe deadly tornadoes, examine the weather conditions that cause tornadoes, and explain how people prepare for these disasters. Diagrams, charts, and photos provide opportunities to evaluate and understand the scientific concepts involved.
What happens to the environment when a drought occurs? What are some of the causes of droughts? What can people do about the problems caused by droughts? How can you use your math skills to learn more about droughts? Read this book to find the answers to these questions and learn more about droughts.
Dig into the world of geology with the Rock On! series! Rockin' Rocks introduces readers to what rocks are and how they form. Chapters build concepts from the ground up, from atoms, elements, and minerals to Earth's layers, tectonic plates, and the three classes of rock. Real-world examples like the Grand Canyon, Devils Tower, and Arches National Park bring to life igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rock. Full-color photographs will draw in readers while the easy-to-read text breaks down complex concepts. A colorful diagram of the rock cycle ties everything together while an at-home experiment provides the opportunity for hands-on experience. Glossary words in bold, an index, and phonetic spellings for those hard-to-pronounce geologic terms enhance and supplement the text.
From creating their own art tools to making a screen print unique to their personal style and vision, this title helps readers express their creativity through the various forms of printmaking. Using clear methods, engaging photographs, and non-toxic materials, readers will learn the techniques of printmaking and be inspired to experiment with their own designs and ideas.
