Hydroelectric energy essay - costs and benefits.

For the environment, hydroelectric is a great choice of renewable since that it didn’t require fuel but only water. After building a power plant, it can last for a long time with low operations and maintenance costs; it is an unlimited natural source. Hydroelectric power plant and last 50-100 years, which mean it is a long term use energy that gives a lot on benefits. Water cycle keep continue so rain will bring in more water, and water is the only factor that hydroelectric power plant is needed to produce energy. Moreover, it can be used to protect from floods and droughts since it helps on collecting the rainwater and stops the water from coming in. It also reduces acid rain and smog since it generate substitute from fuel. Also, it didn’t produce any green house gases or any other emissions. This helps on the climate change and specifically improves the air pollution. Hydroelectric had been used over the world, USA, China, Canada, Brazil, Russia etc. According to ‘Use and Capacity of Global Hydropower Increase’ post in Washington, D.C on January 17,2012,it was written ‘Hydropower use reached a record 3,427 terawatt-hours, or about 16.1 percent of global electricity consumption, by the end of 2010, continuing the rapid rate of increase experienced between 2003 and 2009.’ It states that the use of hydroelectric energy had been increasing in different country and it’s likely to continue to grow in the future.

However, hydroelectric have a couples of disadvantages. It requires a large area near the lake or river that affected the animal’s environment and aquatic ecosystems. Dams are building to stop the water from one side gong to another side. At the same time, it stops the animals’ to migrate and disturb their mating seasons. Fishes and other and creatures might get stuck in the turbine and cause to death. This will affect the ecological balance. Not only animals, but also building a hydroelectric dam will need to relocate the citizens there to make their way. In North America, the dam had causes decrease of the salmon population. The turbines and the quality of water condition were harmed salmon Spawn, which decrease their migration. Moreover, it affects lots of the surrounding area that create noise pollution. Large dam will even affect the water supply to neighbor countries and water conditions quality. Although it is a long term use, but it requires high investment cost, a long time and lots of employee to build a hydroelectric power plant.

The world biggest Dam, Three Gorges Dam had got a massive impact on the development of hydroelectric and Bring up lots of political problem and argument in China. The Three Gorges Dam was started in 1993 and finished in 2011. In the past 14 years, the displacement had involved 1.13 million people and it causes big dislocation that displaces more then 300,000 people. The whole project causes $24billion on twelve hydro mega-bases. At that time, 67% of energy supplies in China were from Coal and 6% were from Hydropower. But as the cost of the coal increase, China then decided to choose solar, wind, biomass or hydropower as their main energy supply. They decided to choose hydroelectric power since they saw that there are many samples of successful dams in United State. 100,000 people protested but it didn’t stop the construction of the Three Gorges Dam. “Past experience has also taught that hydropower development will not necessarily improve local social and economic conditions,” the authors wrote. “There is widespread concern that, although the hydropower stations are as modern as those in Europe, the residents will become as poor as people in Africa.”The construction of the Three Gorges Dam destroyed some ancient temples and landmark. Mr. Wang from the China state council had once warned the government about the hidden dangers of the environment and the endangered drinking water in different places. Also, Deforestation and soil erosion had become another serious problem cause by the construction of the Three Gorges Dam. Today, The Three Gorges Dam was a successful piece that the share prices of the company can get $1.2 billion in a day. However, the construction had displaced 23 million people in China and now people are saying that the government should rebuild the community. Although the government had let them return to the village, there was nothing left and not enough money to rebuild. But on the other side, the Three Gorges Dam did help China on the environment, social impacts, economics issue and the energy situation. Dam had helped China on controlling flood, water shortages and river transport, which the cost of the construction had been recovered and is now making money for the resettlement funds.

In conclusion, Hydroelectric is the best energy for cleaning up the environment. Although it brings up serious political and some economy problem, it gives more benefits to the environment than other energy. All energy got its own advantage and disadvantage, but to choose a good kind of alternative sources of energy, hydroelectric energy would be a great type of energy that mostly only give benefits to the environment. If people don’t start using alternative energy and continues to pollute the earth, one day the energy would be used up and would come to an end.

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