Click images for larger view

Everyday people do things that hurt the earth, lots of times without even knowing it. Thankfully, there are people who spend their lives trying to find ways to protect the earth. I met one such man in Mali. His name is Ibrahim Togola and he started the Folkcenter for Renewable Energy. What is renewable energy? Renewable energy is energy that can be made without destroying our land. It takes energy to burn a fire, to light a stove and to turn on the lights in your house.

Click image for larger view

Ibrahim teaches the Malian people about good energy sources. Instead of cutting down forests to get wood for fires, he helps farmers use animal manure to light stoves. This saves trees, land and money. He shows people how energy from the sun and the wind can make electricity. He tries to get people to use local materials like straw, mud, and clay instead of wood to build houses and buildings. These are the types of things the people at the Folkcenter do to help protect the earth.