Earning Farmgirl Sisterhood Merit Badges

Cleaning Up

3. Green Energy

Beginner

• Contact your local power company and find out how your power is generated.
• Compare and contrast different methods of energy production (natural gas, hydroelectric, coal, nuclear, or sustainable energy) and share some of your findings and thoughts with your local Farmgirl Chapter or on our Farmgirl Connection chatroom.

Intermediate

• In a journal, keep track of your energy expenditures for a month. Include all of your expenditures, from your monthly electric bill, gasoline and diesel fuel used (paying attention to average miles you drive and the average miles per gallon your vehicle gets), and any other fuel expenditures you may have from oil, natural gas, wood, or alternative energy source.
• If you use standard light bulbs, convert to energy-saving bulbs. Discover and use other methods to reduce your energy expenditures. Some things can include carpooling, mass transit, planting trees to shade your home, installing low-flow faucets and shower heads, or reducing use of major appliances like stoves and ovens by eating more raw foods or building an earth or solar oven.

Expert

• Continue to track your energy expenditures for an additional three months.
• Find additional ways to go green and commit to an even larger project, such as installing solar panels or helping a fellow farmgirl with a large energy reducing project. Plan to spend at least 30 hours.

March, 2024 Edition