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Next, using your floor plan as an example, have the participants draw a diagram on a piece of graph paper of one room in their own
home. Give them “sun stickers” to use on their diagrams
too. Ask the participants to take their diagrams home and
check to see if they forgot anything in their rooms.
2. Have the participants identify what kind of energy is used to
light their homes, heat their homes and water, and to cook
with in their kitchens. They should then complete their floor
plans showing all the rooms and include on them everything
in their home that uses energy [i.e. heating and air condition-
ing, lighting, appliances, computers, clocks, entertainment
equipment, electronic toys, etc.] A small “sun sticker” should be
stuck to the floor plan wherever energy is used. Don’t forget about
the ones where you can’t see the “plugs” like recessed lighting, ceiling fans, or even major appliances. (Even if the electricity in your area comes from a nuclear power plant, explain that the entire nuclear generating system is supported by old sunlight energy, from the mining, transporting and processing of the fuel, to the construction, operation and maintenance of the facility, and finally, to the transportation, security and storage of the wastes. In the case of hydropower, the dams, facilities, and transmission towers are all built using old sunlight energy. Without old sunlight energy, these other methods of gener- ating electricity would not have been undertaken or maintained.)
Sunlight connectors: Anything with a plug gets a “plug” sticker—don’t forget things like window air conditioners, electric stoves, and electric refrigerators. For items like vacuum cleaners, blenders, or mixers that might be used in multiple locations, the “plug” sun stickers can be placed in the border of the floor diagram.
Sunlight activators: Anything with a switch gets a “switch” sticker. This can include ceiling fixtures like lights and fans.
Sunlight monitors: Use these for heating and cooling such as central air conditioner vents, heating vents, and radiators.
Sunlight flames: Be sure to put a “flame” sticker on a gas or oil furnace, and a gas clothes dryer, stove, or hot water heater.
3. After the participants have completed their diagrams of sunlight energy use in their homes and rooms, ask them to come up with a rough idea of their potential energy impact by counting the number of sunlight connectors (plugs), sunlight activators, sunlight monitors, and sunlight flames in their homes. Add up the totals for each category for the group, then figure out the total number of stickers both for each participant and the whole group. Generate some ideas with them for how each of us, although surrounded by such sunlight connections, can still choose to lessen our level of personal impact.
Copyright © 2004 The Institute for Earth Education
Annual Report/11