What happens when you flip a light switch or press the power button on the TV? Electricity flows to the device and it turns on. Most of us use electrical gadgets all day, every day, without thinking about it. This book follows the journey from source to resource of solar power, one of the most exciting forms of renewable energy today. Readers will learn how electricity is made and collected directly from the sun and how it reaches us to power our modern world. Other sources of energy are also examined, as well as how grids work to move electricity across land and sea, and how it is fed into our homes. Real-world examples look at solar farms, solar furnaces, solar towers, and even solar transportation. With the world's nonrenewable resources such as oil running out, the advantages and disadvantages of solar power as a renewable alternative are discussed.
Most of us eat three full meals a day, but where does the food that reaches our plates, stocks our fridges, and fills the supermarket shelves come from? This informative book shows how methods of growing, using, and delivering food - one of the most vital resources to humans - have developed and changed throughout time. Find out about the history of food production and present-day methods of farming. Learn about food delivery, the processes used to preserve and store food to make it last longer, how different foods are prepared, and food safety. Real-world examples encourage discussion of the ethics and worldwide impact of the production, distribution, and consumption of this global resource.
This timely book looks at the world's production of oil and our dependence on this natural resource. The majority of today's forms of transportation run on fuel that comes from oil, and hundreds of thousands of the items we use every day come from oil or oil-based products. Readers will find out about the origins of oil and its first use in industry, and learn how it is found, mined, and processed into many different products that are used all over the world. Real-world examples also consider the environmental and human disasters related to oil, encouraging discussion of the ethics and worldwide impact of the production, distribution, and consumption of this global resource. Possible alternatives to using oil are also discussed now that this important, non-renewable natural resource is running out.
Most of us use water all day, every day, without thinking about it. But how does it get to our homes? From the pitter patter of raindrops to the whoosh of water from the shower, this book follows the journey from the source to the resource. Water is one of the most vital natural resources for humans, and we use it in abundance for more than just drinking water. It is used in household chores, leisure activities, and in work and industry. Readers will learn about where water comes from and the water cycle, as well as how water is stored, treated, and pumped around the country and into our homes. Real-world examples consider the environmental impact of our water use and how we can reduce consumption in our daily lives, and how many people live in places around the world that do not have a reliable water supply and rely on local methods to clean water that is in short supply.
Imagine your family had to choose between sending you to school or having enough food to eat. This book tells how William Kamkwamba was forced to drop out of his school in Wimbe, Malawi, when a famine struck his village and his family, who relied on farming, could no longer afford his tuition fee. Instead of giving up on his education, William visited his local library often. It was here that he read a book about wind power. At the age of 14, William used what he learned from the book to build a windmill that brought power to his family’s home. He has since built his village’s first drinking water pump. William’s ingenuity, perseverance, and initiative are an inspiration to many people around the world.
Human activity often leaves a trail of harmful carbon behind that directly impacts our planet. This informative book describes how every individual produces a “carbon footprint” by using energy made by burning fossil fuels and by creating waste from packaging that gets thrown away. Find out how to measure your own carbon footprint and see what effect you are having on Earth. Learn about new developments being made to reduce the amount of carbon we create and what steps you can take to make your own "footprint" smaller.
This inspiring book describes how people are becoming more aware of the effect of their daily activities on the planet. Find out how more and more people are eating and living "green" by buying food grown locally, eating food that is organic, and even growing their own food. Many people are also building eco-friendly homes and choosing to live “off the grid,” which means they are creating their own, sustainable forms of energy instead of getting electricity from a power station. Discover how eating and living green is becoming more and more possible, and why this way of living could help build a sustainable future for the next generation.
While exploring a cave, Joe and Dr. Bea encounter all sorts of wildlife living in the damp cavern. Can the two scientists find their way out? In this engaging title, readers learn all about stalactites, stalagmites, and how animals survive and adapt to life in the dark.
While reading the temperature of a lava flow on an active volcano, Joe and Dr. Bea’s science skills come in handy to help them outsmart the fiery flow of molten rock. In this adventurous title, readers will learn about different kinds of volcanoes, how they form, and about some of the most destructive eruptions in history.
Scientists have solved problems as varied as the germ theory of disease and the start of our universe. This amazing book outlines the great discoveries made and the principles followed by scientists who explore our world. Readers will enjoy reading the stories behind each historic discovery as well as the mini bios of the science "STEM-gineers" who made them. Experiments and research challenges help reinforce concepts.
The Underground, the Metro, the Tube, the subway - whatever you call it, underground transit is a mark of a modern city public transportation system. Packed with historic and contemporary photographs, this compelling book will grab readers with an interest in subways and railways. Also included are underground escape routes and abandoned underground tunnel systems.
A fun and fascinating look at subterranean city spaces, this book takes readers on a tour through vaults, tunnels, shopping malls, and pathways built throughout the world. Cutaway illustrations and maps help readers understand how cities were built from the underground up.
Ever wonder how fault lines, caves, and volcanoes were formed and how people came to live on or next to them? Earth’s Underground Structures uses cutaway illustrations to examine some of the world’s most interesting natural underground structures created by Earth's forces and processes.
From ancient Pueblo homes to the Australian mining town where half the population lives underground, this appealing book uses cutaway illustrations to introduce readers to homes that were built below ground. Labeled diagrams of underground homes and fun facts will make this enjoyable read highly useful.
What lies beneath your city or town? Underground City Systems uses cutaway illustrations to explore the world’s great sewer and water systems. Readers will be amazed by such startling facts as the “fatberg” causing problems in London, England’s sewer system, and toilet-swimming sewer rats that plague all sewage systems. Readers will also learn about other underground services and systems, including heating and cooling, power and cable, as well as underground farming.
From the Panama Canal to Hoover Dam and the Eiffel Tower, Experts in Engineering outlines the principles and processes followed to build some of the world's most spectacular structures. Readers will enjoy reading the stories behind each project as well as the mini bios of the "STEM-gineers" who worked on them. Experiments and research challenges help reinforce concepts.
From adventure games to endless running, this title helps gamers remaster their skills with tips and tricks to reach new levels. Readers will also love finding out about game designers and innovators and how they made a lifestyle into a career.
Learn how to work together with other gamers as a team or as a strategy against other players in large online games. Co-ops, Teams, and MMOs gives tips and tricks for a variety of games and styles, including role-playing games.
Choose an avatar and jump into the virtual world. This exciting gaming title introduces readers to top game creators, and gives tips and tricks for creating and customizing virtual world games familiar to readers.
Which innovative ideas and inventions began with the Vikings? Find out how the Vikings built their longships and set sail from their homeland, forging a path across the sea on raiding and trading expeditions. Discover how their brilliant developments in navigation, transportation, government, and language still influence the way we live today.
Which innovative ideas and inventions began in the Stone, Bronze, and Iron Ages? These periods, stretching from the first ancestors of modern humans to the start of the ancient civilizations of Greece and Rome, was a time of amazing developments. Find out how making fire and tools, farming the land, and writing down symbols to communicate transformed society and had a lasting impact on the way we live today.
Which innovative ideas and inventions began with the Romans? Find out how the Romans trained their soldiers, built their roads and buildings, and supplied their people with food and water. Discover how their brilliant developments in language, government, law, and entertainment still influence the way we live today.
Which innovative ideas and inventions began with the Maya? Find out how the Maya built their cities to suit the landscape and population, traded their resources, and developed a complex system of writing. Discover how their brilliant developments in farming, astronomy, and cloth-making still influence the way we live today.
Which innovative ideas and inventions began in the Benin Kingdom in Africa? Find out how a collection of separate villages and communities grew into a strong, united kingdom and developed a network of successful trading relationships. Discover how their brilliant developments in town planning, language, art, and medicine still influence the way we live today.
Which innovative ideas and inventions began with the Anglo-Saxons? Find out how the Anglo-Saxons farmed their land, built their houses, and organized their society. Discover how their brilliant developments in defense, law, language, and storytelling still influence the way we live today.
