Task · part of 1. The bracket around the whole badge
1(a). Find a source on energy use or conservation, and discuss it
Required Often forgotten
With your parent or guardian's permission, use the internet to find a blog, podcast, website or article. Discuss with your counselor what interested you, what questions it raised, and what ideas it addresses that you do not understand. Keep the link: requirement 1(b) comes back to this exact source.
Notes and warnings
Warning. CHOOSE THIS SOURCE CAREFULLY AND KEEP THE LINK, BECAUSE YOU ONLY GET ONE. Requirement 1(b) says "revisit YOUR SOURCE", meaning this exact one, months later. The closing discussion is built on the difference between what you understood then and what you understand at the end, so a short news item you followed easily on the first reading leaves you nothing to say. The requirement even tells you what to aim for: it asks which ideas the source addresses THAT YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND. Pick something over your head on purpose, and save the link somewhere you will still have it at the end of the badge.
Where this step comes from
- Energy Merit Badge Requirements (Merit Badge Hub, last modified 2025-12-15), Requirement 1(a)