Introduction

Imagine. You walk up to your computer game, flick the switch and nothing happens. You shrug and decide it must be broken; you'll watch television instead. You just find out that this doesn't work either, when someone shouts up the stairs that the cooker has broken and there will be no food tonight!

“From heating and lighting to transport, industry and communications, energy is fundamental to almost everything we do. We expect it to be available whenever we want it …….” So says the government in its white paper on energy (2003) (http://www.dti.gov.uk/energy/whitepaper/ )

Sometimes we forget how much we rely on energy. We walk through our houses pressing buttons and turning dials, taking it for granted that things will happen. What if we suddenly ran out of energy? How would this affect our lives?

For most of our energy needs we rely on burning fossil fuels such as gas, coal and oil. The problem is that these are all natural energy sources and they won't last for ever. Not only that, burning these fuels creates carbon dioxide, which adds to the greenhouse effect. At the moment, only a tiny proportion of the energy we consume comes from alternative energy sources such as solar, wind and biomass.

Fossil fuels are not going to run out overnight, but it is important that we begin to reduce our reliance upon them by developing other sources of energy. In addition, we can all help by reducing the amount of the energy we use. Actions such as switching off lights we don't need and insulating our homes can make a difference.

So what has this got to do with you?

Everyone can help! Your project will focus on what can be done in your local area to reduce energy consumption and make better use of alternative energy sources. You will use ICT to:

Find out about the topic:

• Raise awareness of the issues and find out what other people think
• Present findings and make recommendations
• Persuade others

You will produce a series of print and digital products. When producing these materials, you should constantly remind yourself of the audience and the purpose. If your product is effective, you will have demonstrated your ability to apply your ICT skills in the best possible way.

It is important that you read the whole project brief before you begin.

There are some symbols and buttons in the brief to help you:

Every time you see this symbol you have work to do that must be included in your e-portfolio.

Clicking this button will take you to the relevant section of 'What You Need to Learn'.

Clicking this button will take you to some hints and tips for the task you are working on. Click it now to read some information about how we mark the SPB.