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=**__Tidal Energy__**=

Throughout history people have relied heavily on oil to produce the energy that society requires. But as these societies have grown so have their demand for energy, and now more than ever it is becoming clear that someday there will not be enough fossil fuels to fill the demands. People also see the hazardous effects burning these fossil fuels has on the environment, and are starting to question if oil is really the answer to the energy demands. Scientists in search of a clean, renewable source of energy have turned their attention to the ocean. Scientists have recognized just how much power the ocean really has and are now looking for ways to harness it. Scientists have learned to extract the energy from the ocean by using tidal turbines.
 * __Tidal Turbines__**

Tidal Turbines are a clean, efficient, and renewable source of energy. They sit at the bottom of oceans and rivers and use the currents to spin their rotors. These turbines are most productive in areas where there is a strong current, such as along the Gulf Stream. The Gulf Stream as the potential to supply more than one third of Florida’s energy needs. There are two common ways to harness tidal energy. There are stand alone turbines, as well as Barrages. A Barrage is a wall of concrete several miles long with turbines in it. The stand alone turbines are much like wind turbines though smaller.
 * __What Are Tidal Turbines?__**

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Tidal Turbines are a reliable supplement for energy that would otherwise be created in a gas or coal burning plant. Unlike the wind, tides are very predictable and can be predicted up to 20 years in advance. Other clean sources of energy such as wind cannot be predicted with such precision, making tidal energy much more reliable. This is because the tides are not driven by the weather, but rather by the sun and moons gravitational pull on the Earth. As a result, scientist can predict how much energy will be produced by the turbines, making it a very reliable source of energy.
 * __Pro’s of Tidal Turbines__**

Stand alone turbines resemble wind turbines, though the blades are much smaller. This is due to the fact that water is close to 800 times denser than air. These turbines sit on the ocean floor, horizontally placed, so that the tides may turn the rotors and generate energy. Stand alone turbines are much cheaper to install than barrages, though they produce much less energy. These turbines are designed to last for many years without needing repairs, which is very cost efficient. There is also the potential for private use with the underwater stand alone types. People who live near rivers that have a high flow rate could use an underwater turbine to harness some of that power.

Barrage type turbines require a tidal range of at least 7 meters to be effective, but they produce much more energy than stand alone turbines. Sites where there is an extreme change between high tide and low tide would be an excellent place for them. These barrages have the potential to produce a lot of power along the coast lines, and even in between some islands. Unlike the barrages stand alone turbines can be placed almost anywhere there is a strong current, though they produce less energy.

Tidal turbines are an environmentally safe way to generate energy. Environmentalist approve of tidal power due to its small impact of the ecosystems they are placed in. They believe these turbines have little or no effect on the environment they are put, and have no effect on the creatures that live there. The rotors on these turbines rotate at about 20-30 times per minute, and most sea creatures are agile enough to move out of the way of them. Barrages however cause a slight change in the heights between high and low tide. Ultimately this is said to be negligible, but the extent of the impact on the environment will be unique to each site.

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A big concern is whether or not any of these forms of tidal energy will restrict costal navigation. The barrages will obviously restrict navigation due to their immense size. Stand alone turbines however, are a different story. There are many different types of these turbines, and they are placed in a variety of areas. Some have blades that come within feet of the surface of the ocean, while others sit deep down on the oceans floor well out of harm’s way. Some turbines even have supports above the surface, causing an even greater hazard to ships passing through that particular area. These turbines will have to be clearly marked to avoid disaster.
 * __Con’s of Tidal Power__**

The upkeep of stand-alone turbines poses a problem as well. Some of these turbines are placed under more than one hundred feet of water. Plus the area where these turbines are most effective is in places where there is a very strong current, which makes repairing damaged turbines extremely difficult. The cost to repair a broken turbine would be astronomical. Engineers are working to come up with better designs of turbines to keep potential problems to a minimum. Barrages on the other hand are placed closer to shore, and under less water making them easier to get to. Due to their immense size they also provide a shield from any harsh currents.



The future of tidal energy brings us to projects such as AK-1000. Weighing in at 1300 tons it is the largest tidal turbine in existence, and capable of generating 1 MW of power in water moving at 2.65 m/s. This turbine is set to be placed in Orkeny, Scotland where it will supposedly power 1000 homes. Projects like this show the world that tidal energy is a viable source of alternate energy.
 * __Tidal Turbines Future__**

Tidal Turbines are a clean, efficient and renewable source of energy. With each passing year more and more ideas keep being worked on by scientist and engineers who believe the solution to the energy crisis lies below the surface of the ocean. This is because they are environmentally friendly, they aren’t eyesores, and there are so many potential areas for them to be installed. They may be expensive now, but as the designs improve and engineers learn of better ways to keep them operational, they could be the solution to the energy problems we are facing today. Tidal turbines are a proven technology, and all that it needs now is the financial backing to put them in place.





For the past century our world has become overly dependant on fossil fuels for energy. We have continuously drilled and polluted the environment in search for these non-renewable sources of energy. Today the environment is suffering due to the pollution from these fossil fuels. We must find a means of energy with as little impact on the environment as possible. We are running out of fossil fuels, consumption continues to rise along with prices. There is much skepticism on how much fossil fuels are left, but for sure at some point we will run out. And with demand continuously on the rise prices will as well. Many ideas have been brought up on how to solve the problem. Whether it be Hybrid cars, wind, water, tidal, solar, nuclear and many more. People are continuously thinking and creating ideas for solutions. Tidal power is one major source we should take advantage of. Another is Biomass.

“Biomass power is a direct replacement for conventional fossil fuel energy plants. It doesn't have to be a clear sunny day (to work).”

~Tom Amesbury





Biomass is organic material from plants, animals which stores energy from the sun. It can be fast growing trees and grass, paper trash/land fills, yard clippings, saw dust and wood chips. It also consists of methane captured from landfills, and livestock. Basically biomass is stored solar energy, which is then converted into fuel, electricity, and heat. Once all of the materials have been gathered they can be brought to a waste to energy plant where they are converted. Many of the plants will burn any such biomass in boilers, which in turn will produce steam. Which then turns turbines that produce the electricity. This is not the only benefit from biomass. Many people heat their homes with it as well. There are many plants which produce pellets from waste, along with wood shavings and saw dust. These then can be burned in a stove to heat a home. There are many more different ways to use Biomass. Landfills release gasses. These gasses can be captured and used as methods of heating and electricity much like propane is. Animal waste can be used as well. It is put into a digester which is covered and the gas is captured and yet again converted for heating or electricity.

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“Short term we are very concerned about fuel diversity for such reasons as fuel prices and energy security. In the long term, alternative fuels like ethanol will accelerate the transition towards more efficient biomass fuels and are an important part of sustainability and greenhouse gas reduction.” // ~ Curtis Magleby //

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 * __Pros and Cons__**

Biomass is a fairly reliable source of energy. I can be regrown, but also people will continually have waste that needs to be disposed of (converts waste into fuel). It is a renewable source, and there is no dependance on fossil fuels. It can be used in many forms from pellets for heating, or refined to produce the alcohol and methane. It would cut transportation costs because it wouldn't require any pipelines. It could simply be built near where the sources are. Biomass is also carbon neutral. Unlite fossil fuels which continually dump CO2 into the atmosphere. Biomass puts as much CO2 into the atmospher as it uses.

On the downside large areas of land are needed to made the electricity. And when using crops, they may not be available year round. Deforestation could happen as well which would be a major environmental problem. Biomass is also not too cheap. Economically the cost of accumulating all of the materials and waste from biomass sources costs more than simply drilling for fossil fuels.



Biomass is a good alternative to fossil fuels. It has a wide variety of source to attain biomass from, and doesnt add new pollution into the enviornment. It healps to reduce our continuously growing amount of waste that we have in our land fills. If more biomass plants were made our land fills could be reduces and made into electricity. And heating our homes would be much cleaner and cheaper. In the United States and Europe Biomass facilities are being built to help produce green electricity as well as to help manage wastes.

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