Gilbert-Gregg2010

=__Hydro Power __=



As we speak there is an ever decreasing amount of fossil fuels. These fuels will be exasperated in the next 50 years or so and in the interim we are yet to find an equal alternative that is also renewable. However scientists and governments worldwide have begun to invest and research this now well developed idea of hydrodynamic electricity. However with this there are still a large number of problems associated to this alternative. First there must be a water source, then to utilize this source and capture the full potential energy it must be harvested by a dam. When this dam is created it backs the was then a river into a lake and destroying everything in its way. Effecting yearly migration upstream by many freshwater fish, also taking away many trees and resources for the animals that lived around the river. Intern this decreases population of both in water and onshore animals by the lack of producing. Along with harming the animals and plant life around the dam, it also kicks up unwanted sediment and metals which then pollute our water. **__What is the driving force of the problem?__** For our country now one of the driving forces behind this alternative energy is money. We are currently hurting because of the recession and hydroelectric power just happens to be one of the cheapest forms of energy there is. With a one cent per kilowatt that’s a huge incentive. A normal power plant is at least double that and their resources’ aren’t renewable. We are also looking down the road when the inevitable cometh to smack us in the face when we finally tap our last gallon of oil. However we are on our way to being prepared for that day with the cheap, quick, and efficient hydro energy. __**What are people currently doing or not doing about this problem?**__ There are a few groups who federally fund the creation of these dams for hydroelectric power. The Army corps of engineers and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission inspect and grant licenses to those who want alternative power. Along with the typical hydroelectric dam they are trying to create new ways in which to catch the sea current, with what almost looks like a wind turbine, which are current turbines. However these turbines are very large and they are still researching on how to make them more effective but have a smaller footprint in the ocean. **__How does it work?__** Once a desired area has been chosen, i.e. a river, the must create a dam to capture the power of the moving water. Then the water is regulated through a series of water turbines. The water flows through the turbine. While the water flows through the turbine it pushes the blades then causing a rotation in the shaft. The shaft is then attached to an electrical generator. Inside the electrical generator, magnets are rotated around wire coil inductors which cause a voltage which is an alternating current. Once this current is converted into a much higher electric current, which is caused by a transformer, it can then be transferred to the power lines. Once the voltage is in the power lines and because its an alternating current it can be sent wherever it is needed. This entire process is continuous and happens very quickly depending on the amount of water behind the dam and how much of it is let in. media type="youtube" key="cEL7yc8R42k?fs=1" height="385" width="640" **__What is the amount of CO2 it includes/prohibits?__** A hydroelectric dam doesn’t emit or include any CO2 in the process of creating or distributing its energy. The only time CO2 is displaced into the atmosphere is when the dam is actually built. In order for the dam to be built they must turn a river into a lake. This destroys all types of plant life and trees and animals that were caught off guard by the rise in water level. All these things end up at the bottom and die, when the current begins to move they turn up these dead plant and trees etc and this emits a CO2 discharge into the atmosphere. However even with all this it would only increase the CO2 emissions by a small increment. Although scientists are researching new and more effective ways to not disturb the land around the dam and to keep it at one with the environment surrounding it. **__What is the amount of water it can generate or purify?__** Hydroelectric dams do not generate or purify anywater. It only uses the kinetic energy to spin turbines and generate alternating currents. However technically it can generate water, however it is really just irrigating it to communities who need the water. This could bring lush greens to lands that have seen deserts for years. Even towns that are used to having plants but have a drought can be saved by the irrigation of the dam, and will have an everlasting supply of water. So to say that all these plants can do is generate roughly 97 percent of the renewable energy for the united states is unfair. The can also bring life to new dry lands and rejuvenate the lives of many.
 * __What is the problem at hand? __**

**__What are the best aspects of hydroelectric power?__**

 Hydroelectric energy offers a number of advantages for people who use it, the environment, and electricity suppliers. First of all in order to use this energy all you have to do is find a moving water supply. You don’t have to depend on the prices of oil, coal, or uranium to determine what your energy price will be. This makes hydroelectric energy more cost effective and more stable, this is one of the greater aspects. The pollution created by hydroelectric energy generation is quite minimal. There is some pollution involved in initially constructing the power stations, but this is true of all power plants. It also does not produce radioactive waste or involve the environmental impact of fuel being transported to it. Hydroelectric power stations can be set up in almost any size, depending upon the river or stream used to operate them; big enough to power a single home, factory, small town, or large city. Another of its advantages is that hydroelectric is a renewable form of energy, like wind and solar; it does not rely upon finite resources like natural gas or coal to generate power.

**__How would critics discuss it?__**  As always there are pros and cons to all great arguments. Critics would debate the environmentally friendly aspect of this. Along with the overwhelming amount of pros there also comes cons. One of which that has a large argument is how detrimental to the land these dams are. Once they are built they need a substantial amount of water to create a lot of energy. Intern a river will become a lake swallowing all the river side plants and trees. Even communities are hurt by these great dams, for example the towns of Dana, Enfield, Greenwich, and Prescott Massachusetts are all now under the Quabbin reservoir. Yes the government bought the towns out right, but the families all had to get out and find another place to live. However this should hardly happen anymore, critics for hydro power have more pros that outweigh any cons. The price per kilowatt is the cheapest at only one cent and any other power plant it’s at least two cents per kilowatt. Also it’s a renewable resource, meaning we don’t have to fear it ever running out or having to find new sources to feed from.

   

  **__**If it doesn't make up much of the world's fuel/energy supply explain why.**__**

Hydropower is the most widely used renewable resource on the planet but only accounts for 20% of world energy production. In some countries alone hydropower contributes from 75% of total electricity produced in New Zealand to a whopping 99% in Norway. Compared to other renewable resources such as geothermal,wind, biomass and solar energy, hydro takes the cake. Even though dams are extremely expensive to create the electricity that can be harnessed from hydro are unequaled. The best coal plants in the world can only harness an estimated 50% of the actual fuel they burn. With hydro power plants 90% of the actual electricity produced is ready to use and with no emissions. In just the U.S alone hydropower plants can produce 95,000 megawatts of electricity which can provide for more than 28 million homes. Which is the equivalent of 500 million barrels of fossel fuels burned. Countries that rely on hydropower decrease CO2 emissions and create cheaper electricity for their citizens to buy. But the world only using hydropower for 20% of its total energy isn't enough. Fossil fuels is about 65% of the total energy, we need to increase the use of energy production that don't create global warming. Of the total U.S dams (80,000) only 1/3 (2,400) are used for hydropower.



__**Explain how it could help solve some of the problems or contributes to those problems.**__
Hydro power dose cause problems when they are constructed the water they hold back builds up and floods the surrounding banks of the river the dam is using to create power. The raise in water level is usually very significant destroying much of the ecosystems that where around the waterways edge and further inland as well. This also causes problems for humans to that are forced to move due to rising water levels after a dam is built a huge example of this is the three gorges dam in china where 1.24 million people had to be relocated to avoid the raising water levels. The amount of energy we are able to create with hydro power with no emmisons is just to great of advantage over fossil fuel power such as coal it makes up for the destrucion of the land by rising water by helping fight global warming as well as make cheap and affordable energy that is relatively easy to produce

__**Explalin what it would take to do your thing better or in a larger scale.**__
Well to do hydro power bigger and better it will take a large amount of money and land to take hydro power to a bigger scale then what it is currently at because to create modern dams takes massive amounts of concrete and other building materials because dams must be extremely strong to resitist the force of the water pushing against it also the land necessary you need some type of waterway a river to build the dam across but that piece of land may not be that it is the land that will be destroyed due to rising water that must be a concern as well it is possible to take large scale dams into more commen practice it is just the amount of money and land destroyed to some is to high so hydro power is not always the best option but there is another way to use hydro power to our advantage using alternative systems like wave generators that use the natural motion of the ocean waves to create energy and new technology such as tidal turbines which are just simply put fans on the sea floor that use the waters movement from currents or tides to create energy these systems spoken about here will be the true key to expanding hydro energy to be utilized more all over the world

__**Explain who uses that technology and why. If it isn't used very much explain that instead.**__
As of today many countries rely on hydropower to produce a proportion of it's energy. The advantages simply outway the disadvantages. The cost of producing the electicity from hydropower is simply unmatched when compared to other costly energ sources. Cheap, clean, and reliable what country wouldn't use it? The largest hydroelectric country is Canada which makes perfect sense since almost the entire country is covered in lakes, rivers and forests. So basically every country out there has some form of hydroelectric generator because of its inexpensiveness and clean output.

__**After learning about it what would you do next to change how its used? why?**__
Hydro power should be used more widely across the world maybe not in large scale in all places but building small hydro electric dams to supply power to small areas as well as using new hydro power such as the technologies mentioned above which are much cheaper to produce and install but I must admit the enourmus effeciency of a large hydro dam the amount of power they can generate can power massivie amounts of homes to increase the use of this important power supply we should increase the knowledage base on how great these power systems are and also we should market the more cost effective systems to places that are in need of greener energy systems if we use the cheap methods where we can we would not need the the larger dams as much but in countries with large energy needs the use of such a dam would outweigh the cost of environmental damage and cost to build so overall we should use the more cost effective systems where we can and where large energy needs are at the most and large bodies of water are available we should use hydro power to its fullest to solve our environmental problems