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Let’s kick-start this Autumn term by taking action for climate change, whilst also helping our families reduce their electricity bills … a double whammy! Join the hundreds of Young Climate Warriors around the UK taking up the challenge this week.
Summer 2024 – you’ve probably heard of record-breaking heatwaves, droughts and floods. You may have already noticed climate change impacting your life or those of other families across the world. Do you think it is just the governments and big businesses that hold the ‘key’ to solving our climate crisis? What can we do at home? Well, Young Climate Warriors also hold a ‘key’ … this week’s challenge is to find a very special key, and use it to open your electricity meter. Do you think it looks like a car key or house key, or maybe more like a Playmobil/Meccano spanner? Or maybe you have a smart meter!
With your parent/carer’s permission, jot down the meter readings all week. If you do this at the same time each day, it makes it easier to work out how much electricity you are using each day. Decide when works best for you - when you come in from school or before breakfast? How much electricity do you use on average per day in September? In the middle of winter this figure will normally be higher – why do you think this is? Can you work out any reasons as to why you consumed more electricity on one day than another? Understanding how much electricity we use is a helpful first step to seeing how we can work to reduce it - Young Climate Warriors' challenges over the year will provide lots of fun suggestions!
Electricity historically has been produced by burning fossil fuels (coal, oil, gas) – which release carbon emissions when burnt - the main cause of climate change. However, excitingly carbon emissions-free renewable sources of energy are increasingly being used – like SOLAR (harnessing the sun), HYDRO (harnessing waves or fast-running or falling water), WIND (turbines on land and out at sea) and GEOTHERMAL (using heat from the earth’s core). Check out ‘Gridwatch’ if you’d like to see a ‘live’ snapshot of UK electricity being produced by renewables. In August 2024, the ‘carbon intensity’ of the UK grid plummeted to the lowest record level ever – i.e. there was more ‘zero carbon’ electricity (produced by renewables and nuclear) than ever before.
Stick with us for weekly inspiration on how to cut your electricity consumption – get those meter readings down whilst combatting climate change and helping to protect our planet. Let us know how you get on – hello@youngclimatewarriors.org
