Energy and the environment

Primary III F
Geography
Everything we use or buy has been
made using energy.
The trucks, cars, buses, trains and
airplanes that move goods and people
from place to place use energy. Each
time you flick a switch, you are using
energy in the form of electricity.
 What are fossil fuels?

Most of our energy comes from

burning fuels such as coal, oil and
natural gas. These are often called
fossil fuels because they were
formed in the Earth from the
remains of plants and animals that
lived long ago. Electricity is mainly
produced by burning fossil fuels,
although some is made using the
energy of wind, moving water or
the Sun
Fossil Fuels effect pictures
 Acid rain and smog

When fossil fuels are burned,

they produce harmful gases
that pollute the air. Some of the
gases mixed with water in rain
clouds, making the rain acid
like vinegar. When this acid
rain falls, it kills trees and
other plants, kills water
animals, and damages
buildings.
Fossil Fuels song
I am the earth.
 Energy and the environment

Words to know
1. energy 12. temperature
2. electricity 13. polar regions
3. fossil fuels 14. low-lying countries
4. moving water 15. flooded
5. acid rain 16. world’s climate
6. smog 17. droughts
7. pollute 18. floods
8. pollution
9. global warming
10. gas-gases
11. atmosphere
Facts to know
1. Everything we use or buy has been made by using
energy.
2. Most of our energy comes from burning fossil fuels
such as coal, oil and natural gas.
3. Fossil fuels were formed in the Earth from the remains
of plants and animals that lived long ago.
4. Electricity is mainly produced by burning fossil fuels,
although some is made using the energy of
wind, moving water or the Sun.
5. Taking fossil fuels out of the Earth damages the
environment.
6. When fossil fuels are burned, they produced harmful
gases that pollute the air.
7. Acid rain kills trees and other plants, kills water animals
and damages buildings.
8. Smog hurts people’s eyes and damages their lungs.
9. Global warming may also be changing the world’s
climate causing more droughts in some areas
and more floods in others.
Glossary
1. energy - The power and ability something has to do
work
2. acid rain - Rainwater that contains acids formed from
harmful gases that can kill plants
and animals and damage buildings
3. fossil fuels - A fuel such as coal, oil or natural gas that
was formed from living things a
very long time ago
4. environment - Your surroundings
5. smog - A murky brown layer which is a mixture of
smoke, gases and chemicals
6. atmosphere - The thick layer of air that surrounds the
Earth
7. global warming - The build-up of carbon dioxide and
other gases in the atmosphere that trap
the Sun’s heat, so causing the Earth’s temperature to rise
and its climate to
change
8. droughts - A very long period without rain.