Energy is special. There's lots of it about and it's very useful. Why? What makes energy so important? Here's just a few reasons.

• it lets me swim fast and catch my fish
• it gets you out of bed in the morning
• it means that birds can fly, tigers can roar, wind can blow
• it makes the sun, the moon and stars shine
• it makes plants grow — food (= stored plant energy) for animals
• it makes cars move, factories produce things, light bulbs glow, planes fly and your computer work. I'll bet you can think of many more!

Without energy, there would be nothing: no life, no movement, no light, no heat, no you, no me… nothing.

But there is a problem with energy. Some people have got used to using far too much of it. This means that there's not enough for everyone. And using some kinds of energy causes terrible pollution and makes the Earth's climate get hotter.

Confused? No worries. Welcome to my new Energy Guide in which I take you on a journey through energy and, I hope, help you understand it.