Operation Conservation Mission!!!

As Earth Rangers we know you care about all the ways that YOU can make a difference for the Earth and the awesome animals that we share it with, but, did you know that there might be some unknown energy-wasting and climate change influencing villains lurking in your OWN HOME! That’s right, even if you don’t always know it, there is water and energy waste in many homes across the country and these also contribute to climate change! The good news is, with a little more information on these energy stealing culprits and how you can recognize them, you will be able to defeat them and keep your home running efficiently in no time.  

These most wanted energy wasters like the Power Phantom, steal energy from your home through your unused electronics being plugged in and on standby without you even knowing! Or, like the Devious Draft, which allows cold air into your home through small cracks under your doors or windows, which causes you to use extra energy to keep your house warm! While this is all happening right under your noses, your house is having to work overtime to produce more energy to make up for this waste which in turn means more energy needed from the planet’s resources! As well, this energy is a lot of work to produce and is a big contributor to greenhouse gas production which creates the greenhouse effect.

If you haven’t heard of the greenhouse effect before, here is what it means and how it is affecting the earth. The greenhouse effect is MAJORLY to blame for climate change, and that is because greenhouse gases like CO₂ or carbon dioxide, are being released into the atmosphere. The sun also shines down on us through the atmosphere and then hits the earth giving us that much needed warmth and energy. BUT, sometimes those sneaky greenhouse gases in the atmosphere can trap some of the sun’s energy and this is what causes the temperature on Earth to rise. This increased temperature affects everything on earth, especially many habitats where animals live which makes it harder for them to adapt and survive! So, the more energy we use in our homes, the more energy the planet needs to produce, and the more greenhouse gases that can be produced as well which we now know are a big contributor to climate change.

We can see evidence of this greenhouse gas effect and climate change in places like the Arctic, where the sea ice is melting due to the warming temperatures and this sadly, has had a negative impact on a lot of animals such as the polar bear. They rely on these huge ice sheets to hunt for seals but as the ice melts it is becoming much more difficult for them to find food and survive. This isn’t only affecting the animals on land either, with more space opening in these waters due to lack of ice sheets, more large boats have access and can add chemical pollution to the waters as well as noise pollution. This causes sea animals like the beluga whale difficulty when trying to communicate with each other.

Being able to identify and stop the energy wasting culprits in YOUR HOME is a great way to save energy and help to slow down climate change and by participating in the Earth Rangers: Operation Conservation Mission, you can do just that! When you participate in this challenge you will learn easy ways you can save energy at home, like unplugging all electronic devices and small appliances when they are not in use, or by turning off the tap while brushing your teeth to save water or by taking shorter showers! While those are fantastic ways to help the climate change fight, there is also no way to completely stop our use of energy in our homes, as it is very important for many things, BUT when we do use energy its always better if it comes from sources that impact the planet a lot less. This is where renewable energy comes in! Renewable energy is also known as “clean energy” or “green energy” and you can probably already tell by their names, that they are a lot better at not polluting the air or water more than a traditional energy source, like oil. These renewable energies come from natural resources that will never run out like heat from the sun and the wind! These are currently starting to be used more around the world to reduce pollution, slow down climate change and to help reduce the pressure on the planet’s resources, and you have probably seen where these renewable energies come from! Maybe you were driving somewhere with your family and noticed those tall windmills or wind turbines which use the wind to spin their blades and in turn this powers a generator to create electricity! Or maybe even your own family has solar panels on the roof of your house, which harness solar energy or the energy from the sun and convert it to electricity that people can use to power their homes! This is one of the cleanest sources of energy as it produces no pollutants at all! Pretty incredible technology right? There are more renewable energies being used as well, which you can find out more about in the Operation Conservation Mission!

Now that you know all about energy use and its impact on climate change, its YOUR turn to help! In the Operation Conservation Mission on the new Earth Rangers App, you can work with the polar bear Captain Conservation to help stop the 7 energy-wasting culprits that have snuck into your own home without you even realizing it! This way you too can help reduce the waste of energy and water across the country and foil Power Phantom and those other villains plans once and for all! So, what are you waiting for? The planet needs Earth Rangers like YOU!