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Hydroelectric advantages essay
Hydroelectric advantages essay
Hydropower energy benefits and drawbacks essay paper
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Hydroelectric Power
Water is the basis of all living things on earth. In addition to supporting life water has been used for centuries to power saw mills that would generate electricity. Like many other water sources, water has some advantages and disadvantages. There have been intense debates on whether this source of energy is worth using up the water from the lakes and rivers, something that is important to protect the animals and plants.A typical hydro plant is a system with three parts: an electric plant where the electricity is produced; a dam that can be opened or closed to control water flow; and a reservoir where the water can be stored. The water behind the dam flows through an intake and pushes against blades in a turbine, causing them to turn. The turbine then spins a generator which produces the electricity. The amount of electricity that can be generated depends on how far the water drops and how much water moves through the system. The electricity can be transported over long-distance electric lines to homes, factories, and businesses.
So what exactly is water energy? water energy is energy that is received from the power of water. Energy sources using water have been around for thousands of years in the form of of water clocks and water wheels. A more recent renovation has been hydroelectricity, or the electricity that is produced by the flow of water over dams. In the late 19th century, hydropower became a source for generating electricity. The first hydroelectric power plant was built at Niagara Falls in 1879. In 1881, street lamps in the city of Niagara Falls were powered by hydropower. In 1882 the world’s first hydroelectric power plant began operating in the United St...
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...lp and need of foreign nations. This is a costly project, and therefore needs to be handle with care and by the right people for it to be successful. Having shared all these facts and information about Hydroelectric power,I personally believe that its one of the best energy resources that we have u there. Like all the other resources, this one does have its ups and downs but to me its more efficient and some what environment friendly, clean and does not contribute to global warming and climate change the way fossil fuels do. Hydroelectric power plants also ensure reliable delivery of electricity by enabling stability in the production of electricity which isn’t the case for other energy sources such as wind and solar energy. The best thing about this energy resource is that its soo efficient and good that most countries around the world can be able to have it.
The use of turbines from dams to provide power was a brilliant idea until water levels started running lower than normal. The water waste from humanity is directly contributing to portions of it, aside from drought conditions affected by pollution, widespread fires battled, and more adds to the depletion thereof. When humanity is relying on power provided from dams to handle the demand, they are essentially relying on the assumption that water levels will always be there to provide it. The Hoover Dam provides power to the southwestern portion of the USA that has a large number of people.
Perlman, Howard. "Hydroelectric Power Water Use." Hydroelectric Power and Water. Basic Information about Hydroelectricity, USGS Water Science for Schools. N.p., 14 Feb. 2013. Web. 17 Nov. 2013.
The region needs the energy that the third dam can provide. Providing affordable power, more jobs and economic stability to a region to promote governmental stability is a great idea. Unfortunately, the one component you cannot remove from the scenario is human effect. Humans are corruptible. With the costs of building the third dam increasing dramatically and private investors participating, it is more and more unlikely that the power generated will be any more affordable than Inga 2. I fear this could send the region into another great war
If the dam is so beneficial then why is it that all public debate on the issue has been banned since 1989, even for "…scientists and specialists"(Faison, 1997). This has probably been done to slow the process of or eliminate any opposition that may arise to this project. There are a few questions or "What if’s" about the dam, such as "What if the dam collapses?" or "What if during a war or conflict a bomb is dropped on the dam?" and since the dam is built on many seismic faults, will earthquakes be a problem? Besides all of these questions, there are numerous facts that should dissuade any proponent of the dam to insist on its construction. The dam besides hurting the environment, will also "…displace 1.3 million people."(Giaccia, 1997). These people were not asked to leave, they were told, and many of them still have not been compensated for their trouble, but this goes deeper than financial burdens. Individual rights have been violated, the government simply forced these people off their land and out of their homes and this affects children, families and livelihoods.
...s very inefficient. Besides hydroelectricity, China has a lot of potential in other alternative energy, like wind energy and solar power. The investment of these alternative energy could be cheaper and faster compare with the large dam. According to the China Academy of Meteorological Sciences, the potential of wind energy is massive, with 235 GW of practical onshore wind power potential and 750GW offshore. For the solar power, China is already a global manufacturer of PV panels which makes it likely to have a large market for grid-tied solar in the future. ("Three gorges dam:," 2008). The Chinese government’s goal is to get 15% of electricity from renewable sources by 2020. With the strong financial and political power of China government, China could become the world leader of energy revolution while protecting the environment and human rights at the same time.
In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, John Muir, a naturalist, and Marsden Manson, an engineer for the city of San Francisco, engaged in a heated debate over the construction of a dam in Hetchy Hetchy Valley. Muir wanted to preserve nature for the future, so he objected to the dam because he felt it would destroy the beauty of the area. On the other hand, Manson believed building a dam would provide water and electricity to the thousands of people who lived in the city of San Francisco, and this would preserve the well being of the human race for the future. Both men had good points and arguments to support their views; however, in the end you have to look out for your own kind. If there is a choice about the well being of the human race or nature, I believe there is only once choice to be made – the future support of the human race.
Wuerthner, George. North Idaho's Lake Country. Helena, MT: American & World Geographic Pub., 1995. Print.
The first type of renewable energy is hydroelectric energy or well known as hydropower. In greek word, hydro means water and thus hydroelectric energy refers to electricity generated using flowing water at high velocity. Lutgens and Tarbuck (1992, p. 163) stated that “running water is of great importance to people as we depend upon rivers for energy, travel and irrigation”. Continuous availability of water in universe made water to be the main source of hydroelectric energy. Water has been widely utilized by mankind since the beginning of civilization and wate...
Hydro power is one of many examples of alternative energy source. Hydro power is producing energy by moving
There are three parts to a typical hydropower plant. The first part is an electric plant where electricity is produced. The second is a dam that open and closes to control the flow of water. Water behind the dam goes into an intake and is pushed against blades in a turbine which causes them to turn. Then the turbine rotates a generator to create electricity.
Next, hydro-electricity is electricity produced by moving water, flowing past a turbine connected to a generator (“Hydropower”). According to Nationalgeographic.c...
Hydropower, the use of water to power machinery or produce electricity, provides the most renewable energy in the United States, and uses alternating current in most modern plants ("Hydropower…”). Hydropower relies on the water cycle and is a clean fuel source; it doesn’t pollute the environment like plants that burn fossil fuels. It is by far the most efficient way to generate electricity, being half the cost of using nuclear power, two-fifths the cost of using fossil fuels, and a quarter the cost of using natural gas ("Wind and Water…”). Also, hydropower is not subject to market fluctuations of embargos, and the average lifespan of a facility is 100 years. Hydropower also has many non-energy benefits such as water supply, flood control, navigation, irrigation, and recreation. However, it does face many environmental challenges such as impacts to aquatic habitats, aesthetic alterations of landscapes, changes to water quality, and interruptions of marine life ("Hydropower…”).
Hydroelectricity is a renewable source that can be used for years and cam be expanded in many different ways. It also can produce energy from running water without reducing its quantity and can be utilized with other renewable sources that promote energy. Hydroelectricity contributes to the storing of drinking water by collecting rain water, which can then be used for irrigation; however it can also improve the air you breathe because it doesn’t release any toxins or pollutants. For a century, hydroelectricity has made long term improvements environmentally and can continue to do so for many years to come because of how affordable this technology is. (Lamb)
So in other words, is renewable energy an affordable and successful option for South Africa. Per year South Africa uses 1.3 % of the world’s total energy. South Africa’s main energy comes from coal, but one quarter of the coal we mine is exported to other countries. In 2009 71.1% of the total energy sources in South Africa were coal and hydroelectric energy had 0,1%. The one major reason hydroelectric energy in South Africa is so low is because this country is a water scarce one, which means that the hydroelectric power stations don’t have enough water to produce electricity efficiently.
In chapter thirteen of our book, Environment by Raven and Berg, it shows us just how important renewable energy sources are. Currently the United States of America thrives on the use of fossil fuels and nuclear power. The main problems with these types of fuel are that they are both limited and can be extremely harmful to our environment. They cause global warming, air pollution, acid rain, and oil spills (Environment), and not only that, but in the grand scheme of things, these sources really aren’t even that cheap of a fuel source. There are many alternatives to these all but outdated fuel sources.