This webpage offers a wide variety of science projects for people of all ages to do.  To learn more, here is the list of Project Categories, with links to the individual sections.  You’ll notice several renewable energy categories, such as solar, hydro-power, and geothermal, as well as “Saving Energy,” which is an important and environmentally-friendly principal.

Check out some of the projects below and let us know if you complete any of them!

The Window Socket (above), designed Kyuho Song & Boa Oh, ”offers a neat way to harness solar energy and use it as a plug socket.”  While there are gardgets out there to store energy to power things at a later time, the Window Socket actually allows you to plug in your device while it is getting its energy from the sun.  ”Simple in design, the plug just attaches to any window and does its job intuitively.”

Check out the Yanko Design website for details about the Window Socket, including information on the solar panels.

Another exciting energy innovation is the ReadySet Solar Kit (below) designed by Fenix International.  Included in each kit is

• A ReadySet battery
• 15 Watt Solar Panel with rugged aluminum frame
• Power Adapter for grid charging
• 3 Watt LED light with socket, cable and switch
• USB Universal battery charger for charging any 3.7-volt Lithium battery
• Instruction Manual

This portable solar power kit “is an intelligent battery system that can be charged from solar, electric grid, and even a bicycle generator to charge mobile phones, tablets, WiFi hotspots and other devices.”  The adapability to electric grids and bicycle generators makes the kit very versatile, and while it was originally designed for use in rural Africa, the company is expanding its market.  According to the company, “Apartment renters typically can’t install solar panels on the roofs of their buildings, and neither can college students if they live in dorms.  But users of the ReadySet can hang the panel out the window and collect a charge.”

What do you think of these devices?

The meeting comes at a critical time for the Arctic, which is warming twice as fast as almost any other region on earth. As it warms, melting sea ice will give people more access to use the Arctic Ocean as a shipping route. It could also mean “greater exploitation of natural resources, such as oil and gas, minerals, and fisheries; and increased tourism” – all of which will present significant challenges for a once remote area, according to a report by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP).

A warming Arctic will have significant environmental and health consequences for the entire world, including sea level rise, release of stored chemicals and greenhouse gasses into the environment, and impacts on biodiversity…

U.S. Ambassador to Sweden Mark Brzezinski can attest to those changes. He witnessed first-hand the impact that climate change has had on Arctic flora and fauna during a visit to the Abisko Scientific Research Station, located about 90 kilometers (60 miles) northwest of Kiruna.

After meeting with Station Manager Christer Jonasson and visiting scientists, Ambassador Brzezinski shared what he learned in his blog:

Christer [Jonasson] explained that scientists have discovered cases where higher temperatures have created ice caps on top of the snow which is making it harder for reindeer herds to access food. Since some of the members of the indigenous Sami are heavily dependent on reindeer, these kinds of findings are extremely important. Christer and his team are working with the Sami to adapt to the changes induced by climate change.

Another recent phenomenon is that the birch forests around Abisko often experience invasions of caterpillars in the spring as it is no longer cold enough to kill off the eggs of those pests.

Ambassador Brzezinski gets a closer look at instruments that measure changes in the local environment.

The Arctic Council is made up of Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the United States, as well as six permanent representatives from Arctic indigenous groups, like the Sami Council and the Russian Association of Indigenous People of the North.

There are 14 countries and organizations seeking “observer status” on the Arctic Council, including China, Spain, France, Germany, the Netherlands, the U.K. and Poland.

Join the Arctic Council meeting live on Wednesday, May 15, 2013 at http://goo.gl/H70oq.

UPDATE: On Wednesday, May 15, 2013, members of the Arctic Council agreed to grant observer status to China, Japan, South Korea, India, Singapore and Italy. This status allows the countries to sit in on – but not speak at – the council’s main meetings as it determines future policy in the Arctic region. Observer countries are also allowed to participate in working groups held by the Arctic Council.

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For more on Ambassador Brzezinski’s visit to Abisko, check out his blog. You can also watch a video from the Ambassador’s trip to Abisko on the U.S. Embassy Sweden’s YouTube page.

Below are photos taken at the wind and solar farms from which the State Department gets energy!

Wind turbine at the wind farm from which the U.S. State Department gets energy.

“Saudi Arabia is located in the Sun Belt, where the returns from solar plants would be the greatest” (Picture and caption from Michael Urban/AFP)

As the world confronts climate change, countries are turning to alternative energy sources, such as solar panels and wind turbines, to reduce greenhouse gas output. These two alternative energy sources are renewable, which means the source will always be available in the future. This is in contrast to nonrenewable sources, such as oil and gas, of which there is a definite or finite amount on the Earth’s surface.

Saudi Arabia is one country that is pursuing a renewable energy program and recently completed a solar farm project in its capital Riyadh. As a country known for its large oil reserves, this is a very impressive project. According to RenewableEnergyWorld.com, Saudi Arabia is the world’s largest oil producer, and 80 percent of its exports and revenue come from the production and sale of hydrocarbon resources. Saudi Arabia is also the largest oil consumer in the Middle East, and if it doesn’t reduce its energy demand, it could become an oil importer by 2030. Therefore, as a country that receives some of the most intense sunlight in the world, Saudi Arabia is diversifying its energy sources by utilizing the power of the sun. According to the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Washington, D.C., Saudi Arabia receives about 105 trillion kilowatt hours of sunlight a day which equates roughly to 10 billion barrels of crude oil in energy terms.

“Saudi Arabia Embracing Sustainable Development” (Picture and caption from: GFI Media)

Solar panels, made up of photovoltaic cells, are a renewable energy source that work by using light energy from the sun to generate electricity. The Saudi Arabian solar farm located in Riyadh consists of 12,684 solar panels and was completed in early 2013. By 2032, Saudi Arabia hopes to produce 16 gigawatts (GW) of solar power (photovoltaic) and 25 GW of concentrated solar power, allowing the country to reduce domestic consumption of oil, decrease its release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, and even export electricity to countries in Europe. You can learn more about Saudi Arabia’s plan to export electricity here.

It is clear that the Saudi Arabian government is excited about their solar energy initiatives. At a recent talk held at the Center for Strategic & International Studies on April 30^th, 2013, Saudi Minister of Oil Al-Naimi recognized the importance of solar energy when he said “we hope solar energy will help meet a growing share of our electricity needs – and even help us create a thriving solar industry and expertise in the Kingdom.”

How will Saudi Arabia’s investment in renewable energy, specifically solar power, benefit the country beyond the reasons listed above? Consider that the electricity will be used for water desalination and agriculture, as well as to power water pumps, refrigerators, air conditioners, heaters, and communications equipment. Would a renewable energy project work in your country? If so, what type of project would be best?

This entry reflects the author’s personal judgments and does not represent the views of the United States Government or the Department of State.

Throughout May we will take a look at a variety if topics related to energy, including renewable or “clean” energy, low-tech innovations, youth ideas and inventions, and organizations working on these issues around the world.

If you would like information on specific energy-related topics or programs, please let us know!

This post was written by Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas (ECPA) Senior Fellow Nathaniel Corum

I’m passionate about creating landscapes and buildings that honor the earth, our shared home. The best architectural projects produce game-changing sites and facilities. And the best designs strengthen communities, human relations, and our connection to the land. As a leader of several Architecture for Humanity educational outreach teams, my goal is to connect design students with community members and professionals. With universities and other partners, these teams design and build projects featuring earth, straw, wood and stone that help indigenous people, inspire future projects and celebrate the earth.

Community members and students helping mix, dry and stack earth bricks for adobe homes.

Earth | Shirt sleeves and pant legs rolled up, we jump into the mud. Barefoot and laughing, we learn the adobe-making ‘dance’ with new friends in Oaxaca, Mexico. With our feet we stir earth, water and straw into what will soon become adobes: natural earthen building blocks. Here workshop students from Universitat Internacional de Catalunya join an Adobe for Women team to assist local women, re-vitalize the traditional practice of adobe home building, and address rural housing needs.

Tribal members, students and volunteers prepare and stack straw bales to form straw-bale buildings.

Straw | Stacking straw bales like adult Legos, tribal college students, community members and volunteers come together to raise straw bale walls, creating super-insulated structures made with local agricultural material. Once they’ve stacked the walls, they will add stucco covering, efficient fixtures, and roofing that will collect rainwater. Working together with American Indian tribal members and groups such as Indigenous Communities Enterprises and Red Feather, we are creating cozy homes and classrooms in the Southwest and in the Northern Plains where there is a dire need for high-quality, healthy and affordable housing.

Students work with ocean farmers and wood responding to post-tsunami needs.

Wood | While attaching brown seaweed starts to ropes that will be suspended in the sea, design students discuss future needs with a group of 15 seaweed farmers who lost just about everything when the recent tsunami flattened Shizagawa, Japan. The fishermen are working with Architecture for Humanity to rebuild an aqua-farming ‘Banya’ or workplace.  Working alongside community members to clarify needs and refine designs, workshop students from the Kyoto University of Art and Design help by building tables, chairs, platforms, and furnishings for work, cooking, eating, and resting, all made from local wood in an area known for its agro-forestry.

Stone | Looking forward, we’re responding to a request for technical assistance in the Galápagos Islands involving stone. On several sites poised between small island communities and the Galapagos National Park, we’re focusing on Galápagos Indoor/Outdoor Classrooms. We’ll build environmental stewardship and education centers to help communities ensure the future of one of earth’s special places. The design brief stresses a preference for lava rock that is locally available. Among other materials, local stone will be in play as we build together celebrating the earth.

This entry reflects the author’s personal judgments and does not represent the views of the United States Government or the Department of State.

As one walker noted:

“I grew up in Africa and understand firsthand and have experience what it is like to not have tap water.  I have walked many times to the river to fetch water and firewood in my early life.  It is my hope that someday in the future everyone will have easy access to clean water!”

Organized by the U.S. Department of State, the 3rd Annual 6K Walk for Water was also held to acknowledge the millions of people in the developing world, most often women and girls, who walk an average of six kilometers per day to collect water for their families.

Participants included students, volunteers, workers from local embassies and non-governmental organizations, as well as employees of the State Department.

Under Secretary of State for Management Patrick Kennedy kicked off the event by delivering remarks outside the Department’s 21st Street entrance near the corner of Virginia Avenue NW in D.C.

Why else did people participate in the walk? Here’s what some of them said:

The human body is mostly water and without water there is know life.  We need to preserve life hence water.  That is one reason that I’m walking.

I want to show solidarity to the women and children that make huge efforts to survive and to help keep my own daily struggles in perspective.

I was born in Jamaica and I remember as child, My brothers, sister and I had to walk several miles early in the morning to retreive water for our family.

Why do you think it’s important to walk for water?

Happy Earth Day!

Today is Earth Day! Over a billion people in 192 countries around the world are taking action on behalf of the environment—planting trees, cleaning up their communities, biking to work, starting recycling programs, teaching young people about environmental issues, buying locally-grown foods, and much more.

While today is certainly a monumental day, we must build off this momentum. The environmental challenges of our time are urgent, and solving them will require the sustained, coordinated efforts of people all around the globe.

Earth Day Network will continue to collect and display photos that depict the Face of Climate Change over the next several months, with the hope of sending a powerful message to world leaders at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 19) in December. Your stories have been inspiring; keep them coming!

There are lots of other ways you can get involved throughout the year.

A Billion Acts of Green® is an ongoing campaign that inspires and aggregates individual acts of environmental service around the world. We reached our goal of one billion actions, and we’re now shooting for two billion! Pledge your Act of Green here.

This is the final blog in our series of guest posts by the Earth Day Network.  Check out the Face of Climate Change wall of photos for even more inspiration – you can even submit your own!

Also, check out our Green Schools campaign. We provide education materials to help build awareness about environmental issues.

Through The Canopy Project, Earth Day Network also plants millions of trees around the world – in the places that need them most. Trees are important in fighting climate change, providing soil stability, restoring wildlife habitat, stabilizing local economies and more. Learn how you can contribute here.

Most importantly, we must all continue our efforts to live more sustainably and share the green message with as many people as we can. Our children’s future depends on it. Remember: a lot of little actions add up to something big.

Earth Day 2014 will be here before you know it. It’s never too early to start planning how you’re going to make a difference!

This entry reflects the author’s personal judgments and does not represent the views of the United States Government or the Department of State.

The Face of Climate Change is in Oceania. Receding glaciers, rising sea levels, and increasingly powerful typhoons and tsunamis threaten the region’s vitality. Fortunately, people throughout the region are stepping up on behalf of the environment by organizing recycling campaigns, planting trees, promoting sustainable transportation, and more.

At Mount Cook, New Zealand, the Face of Climate Change is a mountaineer. In the midst of what is usually prime mountaineering season, the glaciers are melting at a surprisingly fast rate this year, creating impassable crevasses. More importantly, glacial melting is contributing to rising sea levels, which threatens many low-lying islands

across Oceania.

In the Philippines, we see a very different Face of Climate Change. A father demonstrates the importance of alternative transportation methods in the fight against climate change, operating an electric vehicle powered by hydro and geothermal energy.

The Face of Climate Change is also the face of a young girl in Alawa, Australia. She serves as the Northern Territory representative for Keep Australia Beautiful’s The LITTLE Committee—a task force created to organize clean-ups and recycling programs.

On Earth Day—April 22—many more Faces of Climate Change will come forth in Oceania and Southeast Asia. In Dagupan City, Philippines, Earth Day Network partner Proptimum Ventures has organized a Fun Run for a Cause – a family-oriented event to encourage sustainable transportation in honor of Earth Day 2013. The theme of the event is “Making a Green Move towards a Green Direction.”  Each participant will also submit a photo for The Face of Climate Change. Meanwhile, in Tasmania, Australia, the Conservation Volunteers have planned an Earth Day event with volunteers and local community groups.  Participants will travel to local parks to plant trees and remove invasive plants.

Hundreds of other Earth Day events will be taking place throughout the region. While the challenges of climate change are significant, Earth Day organizers throughout Oceania are doing their part to fight it. To learn more about Earth Day and The Face of Climate Change, go to www.earthday.org/2013.

This entry reflects the author’s personal judgments and does not represent the views of the United States Government or the Department of State.