Path of Power – Beyond Recycling

Let’s learn about the Path of Power:

Most of us, in Canada, use electricity every day, but how does power actually get to your home?
Canada is the third-largest producer of hydroelectric power in the world, behind China and Brazil. We generate this energy using dams.
The dams that are across Canada from coast to coast produce 60% of Canada’s energy.
There are also more than 60 dams in the Columbia Basin! This includes the area where the Columbia River is, both in Canada and the USA.
Even though Hydroelectric is a renewable energy source, ALL energy use has impacts. This means regardless of where we get our energy we should do our best to use as little as possible.
The main impacts of hydro-electric power are that when the dams are built habitats are destroyed as they flood the area above the dam, deforestation can occur and nutrients that would flow with the river get stuck behind the dam wall and can’t get to the fish below the dam.

Choose one of the engaging activities below to take action:

My power vs your power: Make a list of every way that you have used electricity today so far. Now think of someone in a very different part of the world. Do you think they use more or less electricity than you? You could make a poster to show the differences.
Virtual Museum Visit: Visit the Balance of Power virtual museum exhibition that’s currently on show in Nelson. See how hydroelectric power developed in South-Eastern British Columbia. Looking at the exhibition, share one thing from each of these categories that you have learned and find interesting about hydroelectric power in BC: People, Land, Industry

Choose one of the topics below to write about:

Where does your local power comes from? Why is it different in different places?
Do you think that everyone has equal access to power or electricity?
How can you reduce the power you use daily? Try to think of three simple steps.

Check out some of our favourite Path of Power videos:

Book – The City of Ember (The City of Ember Book 1) by Jeanne Duprau.
- This post-apocalyptic science fiction novel by Jeanne DuPrau was published in 2003. The Path of Power in this story takes you to an underground city, Ember, that is slowly running out of power and supplies due to its ageing infrastructure. What an adventure! Check out the 3 book series OR the movie version.
Movie – The Boy who Harnessed the Wind directed by Chiwetel Ejiofor.
- This is the true story of a boy in Malawi who used wind power to help save his village from famine.

Brains On – High Voltage: How electric power reaches your outlet
This 35 minute podcast explores how power travels from the source to your home and talks about the history of key figures who made electricity as widely available as it is today.

Come play a Kahoot with us…