Hydropower dams can cause several environmental problems, even though they burn no fuel.

Damming rivers may permanently alter river systems and wildlife habitats. Fish, for one, may no longer be able to swim upstream. What is Hydropower? Hydropower (from hydro meaning water) is energy that comes from the force of moving water. The fall and movement of water is part of a continuous natural cycle called the water cycle. Energy from the sun evaporates water in the Earths oceans and rivers and draws it upward as water vapor. When the water vapor reaches the cooler air in the atmosphere, it condenses and forms clouds. The moisture eventually falls to the Earth as rain or snow, replenishing the water in the oceans and rivers. Gravity drives the water, moving it from high ground to low ground. The force of moving water can be extremely powerful .Hydropower is called a renewable energy source because the water on Earth is continuously replenished by precipitation. As long as the water cycle continues, we wont run out of this energy source. Hydro Dams Its easier to build a hydropower plant where there is a natural waterfall. Thats why the first hydropower plant was built at Niagara Falls. Dams, which are artificial waterfalls, are the next best way. Dams are built on rivers where the terrain will produce an artificial lake or reservoir above the dam. Today there are about 80,000 dams in the United States, but only three percent (2,400) have power-generating hydro plants. Most dams are built for flood control and irrigation, not electric power generation. A dam serves two purposes at a hydropower plant. First, a dam increases the head, or height, of the water. Second, it controls the flow of water. Dams release water when it is needed for electricity production. Special gates called spillway gates release excess water from the reservoir during heavy rainfall. Hydropower Plants The flow of water represents a huge supply of kinetic energy that can be put to work. Water wheels are useful for generating mechanical energy to grind grain or saw wood, but they are not practical for generating electricity. Water wheels are too bulky and slow. Hydroelectric plants are different. They use modern turbine generators to produce electricity, just as thermal (coal, oil, nuclear) power plants do, except they do not produce heat to spin the turbines. Hydro plant operations may also affect water quality by churning up dissolved metals that may have been deposited by industry long ago. Hydropower operations may increase silting, change water temperatures, and lower the levels of dissolved oxygen. Hydropower has advantages, too. Hydropowers fuel supply (flowing water) is clean and is renewed yearly by snow and rainfall. Furthermore, hydro plants do not emit pollutants into the air because they burn no fuel. With growing concern over greenhouse gas emissions and increased demand for electricity, hydropower may become more important in the future. Hydropower facilities offer a range of additional benefits. Many dams are used to control flooding and regulate water supply, and reservoirs provide lakes for recreational purposes, such as boating and fishing.

Tidal Energy
The tides rise and fall in eternal cycles. The waters of the oceans are in constant motion. We can use some of the oceans energy, but most of it is out of reach. The problem isnt harnessing the energy as much as transporting it. Generating electricity in the middle of the ocean just doesnt make sensetheres no one there to use it. We can only use the energy near shore, where people need it. Tidal energy is the most promising source of ocean energy for today and the near future. Tides are changes in the level of the oceans caused by the rotation of the Earth and the gravitational pull of the moon and sun. Tidal energy plants capture the energy in the changing tides. A low dam, called a barrage, is built across an inlet. The barrage has one-way gates (sluices) that allow the incoming flood tide to pass into the inlet. When the tide turns, the water flows out of the inlet through huge turbines built into the barrage, producing electricity. Today, the electricity from tidal plants costs more than from conventional power plants. It is very expensive and takes a long time to build the barrages. Also, tidal plants produce electricity less than half of the time. On the other hand, the fuel is free and non-polluting, and the plants are easy to maintain. Tidal power is a renewable energy source. The plants do affect the environment, though they produce no air pollution.

Hydropower and the Environment

Wind Direction A weather vane, or wind vane, is used to show the direction of the wind. A wind vane points toward the source of the wind. Wind direction is reported as the direction from which the wind blows, not the direction toward which the wind moves. A north wind blows from the north toward the south. Wind Speed It is important in many cases to know how fast the wind is blowing. Wind speed can be measured using a wind gauge or anemometer. Todays Wind Turbines Todays wind turbines use blades to capture the winds kinetic energy. Wind turbines work because they slow down the speed of the wind. When the wind blows, it pushes against the blades of the wind turbine, making them spin. They power a generator to produce electricity. Most wind turbines have the same basic parts: blades, shafts, gears, a generator, and a cable. (Some turbines do not have gearboxes.) These parts work together to convert the winds energy into electricity. 1) The wind blows and pushes against the blades on top of the tower, making them spin. 2) The turbine blades are connected to a low-speed drive shaft. When the blades spin, the shaft turns. The shaft is connected to a gearbox. The gears in the gearbox increase the speed of the spinning motion on a high-speed drive shaft. 3) The high-speed drive shaft is connected to a generator. As the shaft turns inside the generator, it produces electricity. 4) The electricity is sent through a cable down the turbine tower to a transmission line. The amount of electricity that a turbine produces depends on its size and the speed of the wind. Wind turbines come in many different sizes. A small turbine may power one home. Large wind turbines can produce enough electricity to power up to 1,000 homes. Large turbines are sometimes grouped together to provide power to the electricity grid. The grid is the network of power lines connected together across the entire country. What is Biomass? Biomass is any organic matterwood, crops, seaweed, animal wastes that can be used as an energy source. Biomass is probably our oldest source of energy after the sun. For thousands of years, people have burned wood to heat their homes and cook their food. Biomass gets its energy from the sun. All organic matter contains stored energy from the sun. During a process called photosynthesis, sunlight gives plants the energy they need to convert water and carbon dioxide into oxygen and sugars. These sugars, called carbohydrates, supply plants and the animals that eat plants with energy. Foods rich in carbohydrates are a good source of energy for the human body! Biomass is a renewable energy source because its supplies are not limited. We can always grow trees and crops, and waste will always exist. Wind Power Plants Wind power plants, or wind farms, are clusters of wind turbines used to produce electricity. A wind farm usually has dozens of wind turbines scattered over a large area. Choosing the location of a wind farm is known as siting a wind farm. The wind speed and direction must be studied to determine where to put the turbines. As a rule, wind speed increases with height, as well as over open areas with no windbreaks. Turbines are usually built in rows facing into the prevailing wind. Placing turbines too far apart wastes space. If turbines are too close together, they block each others wind. The site must have strong, steady winds. The best sites for wind farms are on hilltops, on the open plains, through mountain passes, and near the coasts of oceans or large lakes.

Wind is simply air in motion. It is caused by the uneven heating of the Earths surface by radiant energy from the sun. Since the Earths surface is made of very different types of land and water, it absorbs the suns energy at different rates. An ideal situation for the formation of local wind is an area where land and water meet. During the day, the air above the land heats up more quickly than the air above water. The warm air over the land expands, becomes less dense and rises. Today, people use wind energy to make electricity. Wind is called a renewable energy source because the wind will blow as long as the sun shines.

Reporter: Elvie Venus M. Eslabon IV-9 AB/BSE Literature

Making electricity from garbage costs more than making it from coal and other energy sources. The main advantage of burning solid waste is that it reduces the amount of garbage dumped in landfills by 60 to 90 percent, which in turn reduces the cost of landfill disposal. It also makes use of the energy in the garbage, rather than burying it in a landfill, where it remains unused. Landfill Gas Bacteria and fungi are not picky eaters. They eat dead plants and animals, causing them to rot or decay. A fungus on a rotting log is converting cellulose to sugars to feed itself. Although this process is slowed in a landfill, a substance called methane gas is still produced as the waste decays. Methane gas is colorless and odorless, but it is not harmless. The gas can cause fires or explosions if it seeps into nearby homes and is ignited. Landfills can collect the methane gas, purify it, and use it as fuel.

Biomass and the Environment

Environmentally, biomass has some advantages over fossil fuels such as coal and petroleum. Biomass contains little sulfur and nitrogen, so it does not produce the pollutants that can cause acid rain. Growing plants for use as biomass fuels may also help keep carbon dioxide levels balanced. Plants remove carbon dioxide one of the greenhouse gasesfrom the atmosphere when they grow.

References:
http://www.need.org/needpdf/infobook_activities/SecInfo/HydroS.pdf http://www.need.org/needpdf/infobook_activities/IntInfo/WindI.pdf http://www.need.org/needpdf/infobook_activities/SecInfo/BiomassS.pdf

Types of Biomass
We use four types of biomass todaywood and agricultural products, solid waste, landfill gas and biogas, and alcohol fuels.

Wood and Agricultural Products Most biomass used today is home grown energy. Woodlogs, chips, bark, and sawdustaccounts for about 49 percent of biomass energy. But any organic matter can produce biomass energy. Other biomass sources include agricultural waste products like fruit pits and corncobs. Wood and wood waste, along with agricultural waste, are used to generate electricity. Much of the electricity is used by the industries making the waste; it is not distributed by utilities, it is cogenerated. Paper mills and saw mills use much of their waste products to generate steam and electricity for their use. Solid Waste Burning trash turns waste into a usable form of energy. One ton (2,000 pounds) of garbage contains about as much heat energy as 500 pounds of coal. Garbage is not all biomass; perhaps half of its energy content comes from plastics, which are made from petroleum and natural gas.