NASA New Images of the Moon
By Clara Moskowitz
June 23, 2009
A new NASA probe beamed down live images of the moon early Tuesday to reveal a stark surface littered with craters, as it flew toward a planned crash at the lunar south pole later this year.
The $79 million Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite, or LCROSS, launched toward the moon on June 18 and began sending images today at 8:20 a.m. EDT (1220 GMT).
LCROSS and an attached empty Centaur rocket stage swooped down near the lunar south pole and continued north along the far side of the moon. The spacecraft is getting into position to crash down on the surface on Oct. 9.
“I am staring at Mendeleev (Lat 5.7N, Lon 140.9E), a large ancient impact basin with uniform floor deposits,” the spacecraft (or rather, NASA spokespeople writing as the spacecraft) posted on Twitter shortly after the flyby began.
At its closest approach, LCROSS was only about 2,000 miles (3,200 km) from the moon.
During the flyby, NASA’s science team will calibrate the spacecraft’s cameras and spectrometers. To study the concentration of minerals and elements in the lunar soil, the LCROSS visible spectrometer will make the first near-ultraviolet survey of certain spots on the far-side of the moon.
“This swingby is my first test of my Medium Gain Antenna (MGA) to support high science rate,” LCROSS “tweeted” this morning.
NASA plans to slam LCROSS down near the south pole in a permanently shadowed crater. The impact is intended to create a pair of debris plumes that will be analyzed for the presence of water ice or water vapor, hydrocarbons and hydrated materials.
LCROSS’s sister spacecraft, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), arrived at the moon a few hours earlier than LCROSS to begin a stable lunar orbit. The robotic probe is expected to spend at least one year mapping the moon for future manned missions, as well as several more years conducting science surveys.
LRO and LCROSS launched together aboard an Atlas 5 rocket last week. They comprise NASA first moon mission in more than a decade.
NASA plans to use the data and images beamed back from the two spacecraft, which together represent a $583 million mission, to aid its effort to return humans to the lunar surface by 2020.
LCROSS will not be the first spacecraft to crash into the moon this year. The Japanese space agency’s Kaguya lunar probe slammed into the lunar surface June 10, and China’s Chang’e 1 spacecraft impacted in March.
Senior Editor Tariq Malik contributed to this report from New York.
Copyright © 2009 Imaginova Corp. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Source: Fox News
Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com
Kids out of Classroom and into White House Garden
By Madison Hartke-Weber
June 25, 2009
Many parents think that good nutrition is the key to keeping their kids healthy. President and Mrs. Obama are no exception. On June 16, First Lady Michelle Obama held a harvesting party in the First Lady’s Garden on the White House grounds in Washington, D.C. She used the opportunity to teach about the importance of eating fresh fruits and vegetables. About 30 fifth and sixth graders were on hand to help.
“Too many kids are consuming high calorie foods with little or no nutritional value,” said Mrs. Obama at the event.
The students were from Bancroft Elementary School in Northwest D.C. They were the same kids who helped plant the garden in March. They were invited back to help harvest, prepare, and eat the product of their hard work. Harvested vegetables included lettuce, peas, and the garden’s first cucumber.
The First Lady’s Garden is the first vegetable garden at the White House since First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt planted a victory garden during World War II. About 55 different varieties of vegetables were planted in the garden on the South Lawn.
Dressed in orange jeans and a bright orange and white sweater, Mrs. Obama thanked the students for helping with the garden. She then split them into groups to perform various tasks. About half of the kids picked produce with the First Lady, while the other half cleaned the vegetables with the help of associate White House chef, Sam Kass.
Like the First Family, Kass, who was the Obama’s personal chef in Chicago, believes that it is important for kids to develop good eating habits from an early age.
“Eat apples or other fruits that you don’t have to cook,” he told Scholastic Kids Press Corps when asked for the tips on how kids can incorporate fruits or vegetables into their everyday meals. “You can also eat a small salad with meals.”
After harvesting the plants, the students carried everything into the White House kitchen to cook. With help from White House chefs, they made baked chicken with rice and peas, salads with a honey dressing, and cupcakes decorated with blueberries and raspberries.
Some students worked in the kitchen along with the First Lady shelling and cooking peas. Everyone else worked outside making salads and dressing, or putting the fruit on cupcakes.
Before the meal, Mrs. Obama talked to the students about the importance of good eating habits.
“As a nation, we need to make good food more accessible,” she said.
She pointed out that many people live in places with no grocery stores or farmers’ markets nearby. They are forced to buy groceries at convenience stores and gas stations. One-third of the nation’s children are overweight or obese, she said, and likely to have “a shorter life span than their parents.”
Many schools also need to improve the quality of school lunches and teach students about the importance of nutrition. Before sitting down to eat, she thanked the “terrific young people” in front of her, for helping to educate the nation about good eating habits.
In conclusion, she urged everyone to go home and become “little ambassadors,” taking their experiences from the First Lady’s Garden back into their own communities.
Source: Scholastic News Online
Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com
California Brings Electric Books
By Lara Anderson
June 23, 2009
Textbooks are heavy, clunky, outdated, and expensive, according to California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. That’s why he plans to do away with them, in favor of electronic textbooks. He recently announced plans to make electronic versions of math and science textbooks available in California public schools this fall. High school math and science classes will be the first to make the switch to electronic textbooks.
Critics of this plan say schools don’t have enough computers to allow each student to use electronic books. But Governor Schwarzenegger says it’s important to make the change now because it will help kids learn-and save the state millions of dollars during tough economic times.
What Are They Like?
Electronic textbooks are read on a computer screen. These textbooks are interactive, meaning students can search the text, watch videos, print pages, highlight and make notes within the text, and add bookmarks to help organize information.
“If I want to understand a calculus problem, I could click on a link in a digital textbook and watch someone solve it,” Rae Belisle, a member of California’s State Board of Education, told The Mercury News. “Better yet, I could watch them solve it over and over again.”
And unlike printed textbooks-which usually are used in the classroom for six years-electronic textbooks can be updated constantly. This gives students access to the most-up-to-date information.
Why Now?
California officials are looking for ways to cut costs in the state’s budget. They say they want to limit cuts to education programs. The Governor’s plan to introduce electronic textbooks could help save millions of dollars for the state. With six million public school students, California spent $350 million on textbooks last year.
Schwarzenegger says electronic textbooks will cost much less than printed ones. Some of the electronic textbooks being considered for use in California schools are free.
“We must do everything we can to untie educators’ hands and free up dollars so that schools can do more with fewer resources,” Schwarzenegger wrote in the San Jose Mercury News.
Electronically Challenged
But not everyone is on board just yet. A major problem is the lack of access to computers. In fact, there is just one computer for every five students in California schools. Critics of the Governor’s plan point out that any money saved by using electronic textbooks will have to go toward technology expenses.
“Every kid, every classroom, needs access to the Internet and to a computer if you’re going to talk about putting textbooks on the Internet,” Sheila Jordan, Alameda County Superintendent of Schools, told The San Francisco Chronicle.
Jennifer Black, a San Jose English teacher, agrees. “Most of my high-achieving students have computers at home, but a lot of my struggling students don’t,” she told The Mercury News. “I don’t assign homework by e-mail or ask for papers to be typed because online access is just not a daily part of their lives.”
Positive Thinking
Neeru Khosla is the founder of CK-12 Foundation, an organization that seeks to reduce the cost of textbook materials. Khosla supports the Governor’s call for electronic textbooks. She says that not every student needs access to a computer as long as the teacher can print out pages or use a classroom projector to display materials.
“We need to get our kids excited about learning,” Khosla told The Mercury News. She says that’s just what electronic textbooks do.
Source: Scholastic News Online
Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com
Incredible Journey comes to an End
By Dante A. Ciampaglia
May 22, 2009
For seven days, the cargo bay of the space shuttle Atlantis was a kind of interstellar repair shop. Astronauts aboard the shuttle pulled the Hubble Space Telescope out of its orbit and brought it into the cargo bay for some much-needed repairs and upgrades.
They added new cameras. They replaced gyroscopes. They repaired equipment that stopped working years ago.
It was the fifth and final Hubble repair mission. The installation of all this new and refurbished equipment gave Hubble a new lease on life. Scientists expect Hubble will remain operational for at least five more years, thanks to the astronauts. Without them, Hubble would have stopped working much sooner.
After five spacewalks and more than 36 hours outside the shuttle, astronauts finished servicing Hubble.
On Tuesday, Atlantis astronaut Megan McArthur used the shuttle’s robotic arm to lift Hubble out of the cargo bay. The robot arm let go of Hubble, and Hubble floated back into its place, 350 miles above Earth.
“There are folks who thought we couldn’t do this,” lead flight director Tony Ceccacci said. “They told us ‘You’re too aggressive.’ I don’t want to say ‘We told you so,’ but we told you so.”
The astronauts worked on parts of Hubble that were never meant to be accessed in outer space. Thanks to special tools, they were able to work on delicate equipment in their big, bulky space suits, with little trouble.
There was one piece of Hubble that did pose a problem, though.
During one of their spacewalks, astronauts needed to access Hubble’s Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph camera. To reach it, they had to remove a handrail. But a bolt attaching the rail to the telescope wouldn’t come off.
They used every tool in their kit to remove the bolt. Nothing worked. Finally, they used good old-fashioned brute force, and ripped the handrail off.
The stuck handrail was frustrating for the astronauts. But in the end it was a small problem on an otherwise “incredible journey,” according to Atlantis commander Scott Altman.
“It’s amazing to look back at how hard things looked a couple of times-more difficult than I ever expected,” Altman said. “And then to overcome and wind up with everything done in the way that it was-we were very successful.”
With their mission over, the Atlantis crew is preparing for their return home. They were scheduled to return to Earth Friday. But bad weather in Florida forced NASA to postpone their return trip until Saturday.
Meanwhile, scientists on Earth are anxious to put the upgraded Hubble to use. The new equipment will allow researchers to look 13.2 billion light years into space. That’s farther than ever before.
“I truly believe this is a very important moment in human history, and I think it’s an important moment for science,” Hubble project scientist David Leckrone said. “Just using what Hubble’s already done as a starting point, it’s unimaginable that we won’t go dramatically further than that.”
All of the new equipment and cameras should be ready for use by late summer. Hubble should start sending data and images sometime in September.
Source: Scholastic News Online
White House Locks out Kindergarteners for Steelers!
By Anne Reynolds
May 22, 2009
Thursday was supposed to be the highlight of the year for more than 100 kindergarteners from Stafford County, Va. They got up early and took a chartered bus to the White House for a school field trip. But when they arrived, all the 5-year-olds got was a lesson in disappointment.
The buses from Conway Elementary arrived at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue a little later than planned, and they were locked out.
“We were going to the White House, but we couldn’t get in so I felt sad,” 5-year-old Cameron Stine said.
Parents say they were just 10 minutes late for their scheduled tour. School officials say White House staff said they needed to get ready for the president’s event with the Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers, so they couldn’t come in.
“I was angry cause they were disappointed,” parent and chaperone Paty Stine said.
The Steelers and the Obama administration used their time together to create 3,000 care packages for U.S. troops as part of a Wounded Warriors initiative.
A lot of preparing had gone into the trip. Conway Elementary teachers had been planning the trip for months, each child paid $20 for a seat on the chartered bus, and names were submitted to the White House for clearance.
Parents say they tried to make it on time, but their chartered buses hit heavy traffic that slowed them down substantially. They thought they were supposed to show up by 10:15, but they say they arrived at 10:25 instead, and couldn’t get in.
“The person who headed this White House trip up came out and said, ‘I’m sorry, the White House tour’s off.’ There were a lot of crying kids,” parent Barbara Stine said.
The White House tells a slightly different story. A spokesperson said the group was actually supposed to be there at 9:30, but they held the gates for the group until 10:30, 15 minutes longer than they told the group, but when they still hadn’t arrived, they had to draw the line.
Paty Stine said the White House staff should have made an exception. She feels the kindergarteners were snubbed for the Steelers.
“Here we have President Obama and his administration saying, ‘Here we are for the common, middle class people,’ and here he is not letting 150 5- and 6-year-olds into the White House because he’s throwing a lunch for a bunch of grown millionaires,” Stine said.
Thursday night the White House released this statement: “The President and First Lady are dedicated to opening the doors of the White House to the public, and it is unfortunate to see young people miss a tour. The visitor’s office is already working to reschedule the group.”
Parents say it’s probably too late. The school year ends in a few weeks and they doubt the tour can be made up in that time.
Source: NBC News
47 Million-year-old Fossil Public Debut
By Laura Leigh Davidson
May 21, 2009
Scientists unveiled a 47-million-year-old primate fossil at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City on Tuesday. Scientists say it is “the most complete primate fossil ever found.”
Dr. Jorn Hurum of the University of Oslo in Norway led the team of scientists who studied the small monkeylike female. Hurum nicknamed her “Ida,” after his own 6-year-old daughter.
Hurum’s team thinks she may be a distant ancestor of monkeys, apes, and humans. That means that studying Ida could tell scientists more about how modern human beings developed.
Ida was found in an area of Germany that is rich with ancient fossils, called the Messel Pit.
Ida is so well-preserved that impressions of her fur are still clear. Scientists also found evidence of food where her stomach would have been. The animal’s last meal was fruit and leaves.
Hurum’s team says Ida has many humanlike characteristics. She has opposable thumbs and fingernails instead of claws. X-rays show both baby and adult teeth. She had eyes that faced forward, which allowed her to see in three-dimensions and judge distance.
Scientists believe Ida was about 9 months old when she died.
Ida’s debut has sparked a lot of debate among scientists. They have different opinions about how closely linked she is to the prehuman animals that evolved after her.
One thing scientists do agree on is the quality of the fossil primate.
“There’s certainly a lot more information about this individual than probably any other fossil primate that’s ever been recovered,” said primate expert Dr. John Fleagle. (Fleagle is not a part of the research team that has been studying Ida.)
Hurum says there is much more to learn from the 47-million-year-old fossil.
“She tells so many stories,” Hurum told reporters on Tuesday. “We have just started the research on this fabulous specimen.”
Since her big debut on Tuesday, Ida has returned to her permanent home at the University of Oslo Natural History Museum in Norway. But a plaster version of the fossil has become a part of the “Extreme Mammals” exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.
The History Channel will air a documentary about Ida called The Link, on Monday, May 25. You can learn more about Ida online at
Source: Scholastic News Online
What every family can do: The 5-2-1-0 rule
By COF/PIO
May 11, 2009
Every child and every adult has a healthy body shape that is just right for them. However in today’s world it is easy for us all to gain excessive, and unhealthy, weight. Weight gain occurs when energy intake (food and drink) is more than energy burned off (physical activity). The best thing you can do to help your child achieve the healthy body that is just right for them is by creating healthy habits for the entire family.
5 or more servings of fruit and vegetables per day
Fruits and vegetables contain many nutrients that a child’s body needs and they should be taking the place of high calorie food from a child’s daily food menu. According to a 2004 Canadian Community Health Survey, children who eat five or more servings of fruit and vegetables a day are significantly less likely to develop overweight and obesity than children who eat less than 3 servings per day. Additional evidence supports the linkage between high fruit and vegetable consumption and decreased cancers, diabetes and heart disease rates. Ensure your child eats fruit and vegetables at every meal and as a snack. Dinners can begin with a salad, a clear vegetable broth soup or raw vegetables in order to fill everyone up before the main course.
2 hours of screen time or less per day
The latest Canadian Community Health Survey data indicates that children who watch more than 2 hours of screen time (TV, computer, video games) per day have double the incidence of overweight and obesity when compared to children who watch less than 1 hour per day.
- Limit screen time to 2 hours or less per day and keep children physically active. We recommend the use of a timer to avoid quarrels as to how much time has elapsed.
- Children should not be allowed to watch TV before 2 years of age and there should be no TV in the children’s bedroom, no matter what the child’s age.
1 hour or more of physical activity per day
There is significant improvement in both physical and mental health when children and teenagers obtain their required 60 minutes of physical activity per day. But more than half of 5-17 year olds are not reaching activity levels sufficient for optimal growth and development. Encourage your child to be active! According to Canada’s Physical Activity Guide, children should engage in:
- 30 minutes a day of vigorous physical activity such as running and playing soccer
- 60 minutes a day of moderate physical activity such as playing outdoors or biking
Ideas to help your child become more active from the BC Medical Association:
- ensure activities are fun for your child
- provide space and time for physical activities
- be active as a family: consider skating, hiking, biking, swimming, trips to the zoo or park, roller skating, miniature golf or anything else that can be enjoyed by the entire family
- involve children in household activities such as car washing, dog walking, lawn mowing or other active household chores
- walk to school, the bus or shops when appropriate – organized sports aren’t necessary to achieve one or more hours of physical activity per day
Remember, parents and adult family members are role models. Kids will learn from your activity levels.
0 sugar sweetened beverages per day
We know that one of the major contributors to the childhood obesity epidemic is the over consumption of sugar sweetened beverages (SSB’s). Examples of SSB’s are soft drinks (pop), fruit “beverages” , “punches” or “cocktails” (bought or homemade), flavoured milk, sports drinks and flavoured coffees. These beverages are liquid candy and should rarely be served. 100% pure fruit juice does not contain added sugar but may well contribute to excess weight gain and portions should be limited.
Provide your child with plain milk and water to drink. Fruit juice should be limited to one small glass (125 mL) per day. Fruit juice contains the sugar of fruit but at higher amounts than in fresh fruit since it takes many fruits to make one glass of juice. Give your child fresh fruit instead of juice. Pack water or milk in your child’s school lunch instead of a juice box.
Most people will eat the same amount of food at a meal whether they drink water or an SSB. All those extra calories are saved as fat. Children who drink one can of pop per day increase their risk of childhood obesity by 60%. Studies show that 30-50% of Canadian teenagers drink at least one can of pop per day. A 13 year old boy needs to jog 50 minutes per day to burn off the 260 calories contained in each 20oz (590ml) bottle of pop.
Aside from weight gain, a child who drinks too many SSB’s may also have tooth decay and loose bowels or diarrhea due to problems digesting the sugars in the drinks.
What else can a family do to prevent childhood obesity?
Become knowledgeable and take time
Learn about healthy eating and active living and take the time to help your child achieve and maintain a healthy body weight. No parent can follow all of these tips every day. Do what you can do when you are able.
Eat breakfast together
Studies show that students who eat breakfast have increased test scores, improved attendance, reduced tardiness, and better academic, behavioural and emotional functioning.
Eat most meals at home and eat as many meals as possible together
Studies show that the more meals a family eats meals together, the more likely the children are to eat fruit, vegetables, grains and calcium-rich food and beverages. They are also more likely to feel connected to their family. They do better in school and are half as likely to run into problems with substance abuse as teenagers.
Portion sizes should be age appropriate
Avoid ordering super-sized foods and serve appropriate sized portions at mealtimes.
Lead by example
Children will do what you do, not what you say. Model healthy lifestyle choices such as exercising regularly and eating healthy food. Children with overweight parents are less active, and are more likely to prefer sedentary activities. Studies show that older children are twice as likely to be active if their mothers are active and are almost six times more likely to be active if both parents are active.
Be authoritative
Set the standards for meals, snacks and physical activity and do not hesitate to limit access to screen time and sugar sweetened beveragesEncourage children to drink more water. Keep healthy snacks where children can easily find them.
Do not set your child up for failure
Don’t stock the kitchen with sugar sweetened beverages and high caloric snack food – clear the house of junk food and junk drinks.
Start early
Strive for a healthy pregnancy and avoid excess or insufficient weight gain. Both overweight and underweight infants are at risk for obesity problems later in life.
Breastfeed
This is modestly protective against the development of overweight or obesity.
A note about diets:
Placing a normal or overweight child on a diet is known to harm a child’s health. It can affect their normal growth and development, and damage their delicate self-esteem. Focusing on a child’s weight can stigmatize a child and may cause further over-eating. Focus on the child, not their weight. Regardless of your child’s weight or shape, help them to love and respect themselves by praising their skills and strengths.
Family involvement in healthy lifestyle change provides an overweight child with emotional support, and benefits the health of each family member.
- Talk to your children and support them regardless of their size or shape
- Discourage negative talk about body weight
Source: Childhood Obesity Foundation
When Mom of a Mother
By Beverly Beckham
May, 11, 2009
When my older daughter became a mother nearly six years ago, I became a grandmother with a brand-new baby to love. But I also became a different kind of mother to my baby. I was useful again. I knew things. I understood. And the most important thing I understood was how much my daughter loved her child.
Ten months later, my younger daughter gave birth to her firstborn. “Did you feel this way, Mom? Isn’t it amazing? I never knew. Was I as cute?”
Motherhood, part two. That’s what grand parenting really is. Your kids grow up, go off to school, and move away. And they don’t need you anymore. They don’t call for advice. And you think, you’re done. That’s it. The job is finished.
And then your kids become parents and you’re suddenly backed in the game. “Mom, can you?” “Dad, will you?”
When a child is placed in a woman’s arms – in a hospital, at an airport, in a lawyer’s office, and whether the child is a newborn or a 10-year-old – a woman’s life changes forever.
And so does the life of her mother.
I watch my daughters wipe noses and hands, buckle car seats, peel grapes, insist upon “please” and “thank you,” wipe up spills, dry tears, read books, blow bubbles, monitor the TV, play games, and work outside their homes. And I am struck by the rigors of mothering – how hard it is and tiring and endless, and how amazing it is that anyone signs up for this job.
And then I think, this was once my job. I did all this. “How did you do it, Mom?” my daughters ask. And they listen to my answer because I’ve been down the road they’re on now and they realize that maybe I know a few things they have yet to learn.
The mother-child connection. It changes. It evolves. It grows.
In the space between us now there is still no space. It is filled with children – theirs, but part mine. And on it goes. Mother to mother to child, this eternal bond that is recognized and honored on Mother’s Day.
Source: Grandparents
Greenhouse-Gas Pollution Confirmed
By Laura Leigh Davidson
May 11, 2009
Students who voted in the 2009 Kids Environmental Report Card gave the United States a “C minus” for its response to environmental issues. But the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) made an announcement last week that may help the country get a higher grade from kids and others who are concerned about the effects of climate change.
The EPA officially declared carbon dioxide and five other greenhouse gas emissions a danger to the public’s health.
EPA scientists have spent the last two years studying the concentration of these six gases in Earth’s atmosphere. They said their studies show extremely high levels of the harmful pollutants.
The agency says human activities are likely the cause of the rise in greenhouse gases. The EPA also said the high concentration of the gases results in the trapping of heat in the atmosphere. This causes the temperature of Earth’s atmosphere to rise-a process called global warming.
“This finding confirms that greenhouse gas pollution is a serious problem now and for future generations,” EPA administrator Lisa Jackson said on Friday.
The EPA’s report says that global warming causes a range of dangers to the public’s health. The most noticeable of these dangers is extreme weather.
Countries around the world have seen an increase in the number and length of heat waves and droughts in recent years. Extended periods of high temperatures with no rainfall make land dry and more prone to wildfires.
But many areas are experiencing the opposite problem. Severe storms and damage-causing floods are much more frequent. Why? As the planet warms, more water evaporates from the ocean. This transfers heat from the ocean into the atmosphere. That heat fuels storms.
Now that the EPA has linked these greenhouse gases to a danger to public health, the process of placing limits on the emissions will begin.
“Fortunately, [the EPA’s findings] follow President Obama’s call for a low-carbon economy, and strong leadership in Congress on clean energy and climate legislation,” Jackson said.
Members of the Senate and House of Representatives are currently working on bills that propose specific limits, or caps, on greenhouse gas emissions. Limiting the amount of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere by power plants and industries is likely to curb, or slow down, the process of global warming.
If you would like to tell your congressional Representative or your U.S. Senator how you feel about climate change, global warming, and other environmental issues, use the Kids Environmental Report Card letter-writing tool to help get you started.
MORE FROM THE EPA
Scholastic Kid Reporter Madison Hartke-Weber gets more details on what the U.S. government is doing to help the environment from EPA administrator Lisa Jackson here.
Green House A New York family expands their home, reduces carbon footprint
By Matthew Spana
May. 12, 2009
The Ellenbogen family of Pelham Manor, New York, lives in a large stone house, with a gym, an elevator, and an indoor fountain. Sound impressive? It is, but the most amazing part of this home is the size of its carbon footprint-not its 8,000 square feet of living space. The Ellenbogen home runs on geothermal and solar energy.
A carbon footprint is a measure of the amount of carbon dioxide released into the air when oil or gas is burned to create a product, drive an engine, or fuel a vehicle. Carbon dioxide harms the environment and contributes to global warming.
When homeowners Rich and Maryann Ellenbogen built their dream home, they made sure it did not have a big carbon footprint. Mr. Ellenbogen designed and built an energy-efficient, cost effective “smart” home with geothermal heating and cooling, recycled rainwater, solar panels, and energy efficient design.
Geothermal heating and cooling systems use heat from water pumped up from inside the earth. It is not a common system in the New York area. It consists of a 750 foot pipe drilled down into three wells under the house. The water pumped up from underground is at 52 degrees. To heat the house in winter a heat pump pulls the heat out of the water and heats another system of water. That water travels through tubes in the floors of the house. This is called radiant heating. In the summer, to cool the house, the system runs in reverse. Heat is pulled from the house and added back to the water. As it travels down it is returned to the ground at a higher temperature.
The Ellenbogen house also collects rainwater and stores it in large tanks in the basement. The two daughters, Sarah, who is 7, and Rachel, who is 9, call this the “train room” because the big tanks look like trains. The tanks recycle and use this water for the grass and plants around the house.
Fifty solar panels installed on the side of the property collect energy from the sun. The solar panels provide electricity for the entire house. In fact, the solar panel system can run up to three regular sized homes!
On really sunny days, extra energy is created and the electric meter runs backwards, subtracting from the electric bill. On cloudy days when more is power is needed, they get it from the electric company. These panels are very expensive to install, but can save a lot of money over time.
Some other green products in the home are energy efficient windows and insulation. Mr. Ellenbogen says these are things most homeowners can do to reduce their own carbon footprints. Even kids can help, he told Scholastic News.
“Remind your readers to turn off lights and the television when they leave rooms,” he said. The Ellenbogens have something really cool for this. They can control the lights and temperature in each room by computer!
Source: Scholastic News Online