Renewable Power Policy and Hydroelectric Dams There has been much controversy over changes in the environment due to the placement of hydroelectric dams, and also due to the pollution caused by other power plants which use non-renewable sources of energy. The arguments which come from certain groups against both sides seem rather strange. The purpose of this paper is to explore the environmental and other effects from both energy sources, and the arguments which are presented by different groups who lobby for and against the two sources of power. It appears in many opinions; a group will only access one issue, actually separating two topics which go hand in hand. The focus for examples in this paper with mainly rely on …show more content…
In the Lake Powell area, there are many recreational and historic sites, such as Rainbow Bridge National Monument. “The flooding of Glen Canyon has damaged critical habitat for endangered fish and plant species and destroyed tens of thousands of archaeological and sacred sites, including a significant portion of Rainbow Bridge National Monument – one of the most sacred sites and culturally significant sites for Native American tribes of the Colorado Plateau.” (“Glen”) Now the example used is the “National Monument,” which was made by the US government. The actual existence of Rainbow Bridge was not harmed at all. It is still well out of the water, now a one mile hike from the lake. This actually makes access to the bridge easier, without destroying the area of importance to the Natives. A “national monument” title and set amount of land is not important to these first people, only the sacred piece of ground. The Navajo nations natural resources director denounced the Sierra Club on the issue “for giving legitimacy – and momentum – to the radical fantasy.” (Zengerle) These areas are of importance to many people, but what is lost is changing, not just disappeared. Supporters of the draining do not focus on the underlying and very important subjects which are important to the world’s future. The sources of pollution and change in ecosystems have much to do with power
The article “Down go the dams” by Jane C.Marks aim to provide an informative view on the current pending issue on Dams. The article starts out my mentioning the important nature of dams in our society. For example, Jane C.Marks states that today about 800,000 dams operate worldwide as well as the fact that most were built in the past century, primarily after World War II. Furthermore, the author lays down informative facts about dams such as the fact that dams control flooding and their reservoirs provide a reliable supply of water for irrigation, drinking and recreation which are all very important to society. In an economic standpoint, although it is very high maintenance dams provide jobs for people. The
“Approximately 3% of power used in the four corners area…Most of the power from the dam is purchased for commercial use at heavily subsided rates.” (Glen Canyon Institute). Shows who really uses the power and who this will really effect in weather we drain the lake or not. “The Glen Canyon Dam generates 451 megawatts, which is negligible compared to most of the other power generating stations in the regions.” (Glen Canyon Institute). Show how much energy is generated through this dam. “The glen canyon dam does not generate “Clean” power. While we are correct to say there is no air pollution from the dam, the 186 mile long reservoir” (Glen Canyon Institute). Knowing that the power is not clean can alter the opinion of some people. This benefit is something that is not as huge as a benefactor as most but still it contributes to the case that we should keep this man made
Citizens of the U.S. must petition and call public officials to urge the Obama administration to declare Standing Rock Indian Reservation a National Monument, thereby halting the development of the Dakota Access Pipeline, to accomplish the following priorities: prevent the contamination of a vital U.S. water source and its surrounding ecosystems, stop the human rights violations and abuse at Standing Rock, and avert the desecration of sacred native burial grounds. Stopping the pipeline would additionally benefit the planet and all its inhabitants by assisting the transition away from reliance on fossil fuels, and toward more sustainable energy sources, a vital
For many Native Americans like Chief Laduke say, “This is a place the creator gave us. This is the only place in the word that is ours.” Native Americans are the true lovers of nature and have an indefinite love for their land. Native Americans have announced that the Dakota Access Pipeline disrespects their culture and their lost loved ones. “The tribe has even sued Army Corps of Engineers for permitting a project that violated the National Historic Preservation Act(NHPA) and the National Environmental Preservation Act(NEPA)” says TIME. This event proves that the pipeline is unjustified and is legally against Native American rights when destroying sacred land. The “National Geographic Channel” also states, “Many tribes members are concerned about burial grounds being disturbed during construction because bulldozers have already removed topsoil on ground that members consider sacred.” The importance of sacred land to Native Americans is significant. Moreso, there is already damage being done before the actual construction. Therefore, it cannot be determined the damage that will be done during the installment of the pipeline. “Those echoes from the land have a power that draws people, allowing them to connect with their roots.” (CNN.com) The importance of land goes in hand with the importance to tradition. Areas that were once having tribal ceremonies in 1713 such as the sundance are currently still used
Nelson Mandela once said that “... courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear. " Courage doesn’t mean that you are without fear, genuine courage is trying to achieve a goal, even though you’re afraid. In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Tom Robinson is an innocent black man accused of rape.
Furthermore, generating hydroelectricity does not produce any kinds of greenhouse gases or smog emissions. Finding the balance between an efficient energy source that does not produce any greenhouse gases are crucial, especially in this day and time, where climate change is prominently becoming a large issue not just in Canada but all over the world. Between 1990 and 2013 Canada’s increase in emissions were caused by fossil fuels. Fortunately, there was a slight reduction from 2005 to 2013 and that was from the public electricity sector, for example, by using hydroelectric stations. If canada increased the percentage in which the hydroelectric stations supplied energy to, Canada could potentially cut down on greenhouse gas emissions and smog.
Hydroelectric is a form of energy it is a renewable resource. Hydroelectricity is the most important and widely used renewable source of energy. Hydroelectric relies on water, which is clean and renewable energy source. Renewable energy comes from natural resources. Non-Renewable energy source includes coal, oil and natural gas. Water is renewable because water continually recycles itself. To harness energy from flowing water, the water must be controlled; a large reservoir is created, usually by damming a river to create an artificial lake or reservoir. Water is channeled through tunnels in the dam. The energy of water flowing through the dam causes the turbines to turn and make the
As more emphasis is being brought to renewable energy, hydroelectric power is often seen as a viable and clean alternative energy source. Hydro electric has been a longstanding source of power for this and many other countries. In the 1940s dams were supplying 40% of our nation’s electricity, and now they only generate about 10% (science bulletins). Hydro power can be a clean alternative to fossil fuels; however it should not be considered an environmentally friendly alternative of energy production. Dams built for hydroelectric production have had staggering effects on the ecosystems of which they invade, both aquatic and terrestrial, and have rippling effects linked to ecosystems far
For nearly everyone on earth, fossil fuels are a part of our daily lives. Some of the more obvious places to find petroleum products would be gas and diesel in cars and trucks, but it is in more than just your tank. Without fossil fuels, we would not have things such as plastic to make a wide variety of things such as tires, kayaks, or even computers. The question remains, do we need fossil fuels?
Hydroelectric power plant is one of the major power plants all over the world in order to create electricity. It is also one of the best renewable energy sources on the planet earth. In ranking, Canada is the third largest country to produce hydroelectricity power. The efficiency of this power source is 90% and this is very impressive as the percentage of efficiency is very high. Hydro power plants generate 24% of the world’s electricity. More than 1 billion people are associated with hydro power plants as they use the power supply from hydro power plants.
Energy has numerous benefits to human activities. There are various types of power sources in the world, that produce electricity. Nuclear power is known to use the heat from an isotope, which is radioactive, to generate electricity. Many nations in the world are becoming highly reliant on using nuclear energy. It has a high-energy output and there is the accessibility of uranium that helps in powering the nuclear plants that generate power that provides households with electricity. Although there are various benefits of using nuclear power, the danger of its use is immensely eminent. This essay will be arguing about how nuclear power is negatively influencing the environment.
Hydroelectric power is the oldest energy source. From a small water-wheel to a massive dam, humans have been used many of them for a long time. Since the principles of the technology in hydroelectric plant are relatively simple and using flowing water, it is one of the most widely used, as key energy source worldwide, and supplying electricity much like at the national scale in many counties. While many large-scale hydroelectric dams continue to be built in many parts of the world, it is unlikely U.S. will add more of them in the future. One of the reasons is the arising consensus of its environmental impacts to the natures. Unlike a small-scale hydroelectric dam, a
Hydro-electric energy (hydropower) has been in existence for more than 2000 years ago, which was firstly used for milling, grain, pumping of water and so many more before been used for energy generation.
When the new Southeast Polk High School opened they added many new energy saving products. This included installing geothermal heating under the high school cutting back on the cost of heating such a large building. Many new windows help save on energy used to light the building along with automatic lights that turn off after several minutes without movement. The new high school shows how easy it is to save money and help the environment. Renewable energy is good for all aspects of the U.S, providing jobs, economical growth, environmental cleanliness, and new research for improving energy efficiency. Therefore the United States should use renewable energy to benefit the economy and environment.
Hydroelectric power is a reliable source of energy. In fact, it has been the greatest source of energy to many countries such as India, Columbia, United States, and Canada. Hydroelectric energy has a little instability with regards to the supply of electricity as long as there is water available on earth. Moreover, the construction of dams is long-lasting.