Pollution is when the water, air or land becomes very dirty. When the environment becomes very dirty then it can hurt the animals and plants and even hurt us. Some types of energy pmake more pollution than others.
Wood Fires
Wood can be burnt in fireplaces to keep for cooking or to keep a house warm. Unfortunately there is often quite a bit of smoke that goes up the chimney.
Smoke from a wood fire can be reduced by burning very dry wood and by using a slow combustion fireplace.
Making Electricity
Using electricity does not usually cause any pollution. The problem is that making the electricity in power stations may cause pollution
Coal Power Stations burn coal to produce electricity. When the coal is burnt it makes smoke. Since the world needs so much electricity this causes much air pollution. The picture below shows smoke and steam coming from a coal power station. The steam is not pollution as it is just boiled water. Power stations usually boil water to make steam. The steam turns turbines (fans) around which then make electricity.
Australia makes most of its electricity from coal power stations.
Nuclear Power Stations use nuclear energy to make electricity. They also usually use steam to make the electricity. Nuclear energy does not make any smoke. It does make a very small amount of extremely poisonous waste. This poison is called radioactive waste and needs to be kept in very safe places where nobody and nothing will ever touch it.
Hydro-electric Power Stations use running water to turn the turbines (fans) that produce the electricity. These do not produce any pollution. They do usually damage a river system though because the river usually needs to have a dam built on it.
Wind Power uses the wind to turn the turbines (fans) that produce the electricity. These do not produce any pollution. They do require large amounts of cleared land however and do kill some birds in the area.
Solar Power uses the sun to produce electricity. This does not produce any pollution. Solar power can be generated anywhere such as on a roof and so doesn't need any new space. The biggest problem for solar power is that it is expensive.
Transport
Cars, trucks, motobikes and buses are a big cause of air pollution. When petrol is burnt in the car engine it produces smoke and gases. Most of these gases we cannot see but they are harmful to people and the environment.
We can help to reduce pollution from cars by keeping the car running smoothly by taking it to a car mechanic regularly. The best way to reduce car pollution is to walk, ride a bike or take public transport such as trains and buses where possible.