Learn

LEARN

For All Girl Scout Levels

To complete the "Learn" requirement of the Clean Green Power Patch, Girl Scouts of all levels begin with this introductory reading and then complete one or two easy tasks - depending on age level - listed in a table following the reading.

What Do We Mean, Clean Green Power?

Lighting homes, heating water, warming spaces, running machines, operating factories, driving cars, and flying planes all require energy. The power to do such things is called Clean Green Power if the energy comes from clean and green sources.

But what is a clean green energy source? Clean energy and green energy are terms that mean we get the energy from sources that produce little or no air, water or land pollution and as a result, do little to hurt our health, and are friendlier and less damaging for the natural environment.  A source is where we get the energy. Getting energy directly from the sun, wind, moving water, and plants are some examples of energy sources that are generally considered clean and green.

Yet all energy sources, even clean and green ones, have some impact on the environment or human health. That's where the term power comes in. Power is how fast we use energy - whether it is clean and green or not. The less energy we can use to accomplish something we want, like a warm house, a well-lit room, or getting people and their stuff where they need to go, the less damage we do to our health and our planet.

So Clean Green Power is using clean, green energy sources when we can and using any energy source slowly, in ways that don't waste energy.

While earning this patch, you will meet people who live near you who use clean, green energy sources in their homes, schools, and businesses and to get from place to place. The trend is starting to grow! Most of these people can also show you how they use energy more slowly, more efficiently - and how you can do this as well. This is good news for our environment, our health, and often for our safety and finances, too.

The not so good news is that the way we are getting most of our energy at present is not clean. Today, we are still adding pollution to our environment. Even electricity, which seems clean, needs energy to be generated and right now one of the most common ways is by burning fossil fuels such as coal and oil. We often use far more energy than we need to heat our buildings and water and most often that energy comes from burning fossil fuels and their by-products such as fuel oil, propane, or natural gas. We drive our cars by burning gasoline, and we burn fuels to keep machines in our factories running as well.

When we burn fuel for energy the pollution that goes into our air changes the environment in many ways and harms humans, plants, animals, and other living things. Acid rain, ozone pollution, mercury contamination, and global warming are some that have been in the news a lot recently. Also, fossil fuels aren't renewable, which means you cannot replace what you burned since it took millions of years to form them in nature.

Luckily, people are beginning to use energy sources that are clean and green and to use energy more slowly. But most people don't realize how possible this is. We need to help more people learn about clean, green power, and you can help! More kids and adults need to know that clean, renewable energy is out there working well, right now! For this patch, you will visit a local clean energy site, meet and interview a person who has made smart energy choices, make a project, spread the good news, earn a patch, and have some fun!

Completing this patch makes a difference!

Before you visit a place using clean power and interview a host or hostess, start thinking about the whole topic of air pollution, renewable energy, energy efficiency and clean energy by completing one or two of the following easy tasks. These will help you come up with questions to ask the host or hostess at your local clean energy site and to think of ideas for the project that you will complete for this patch.