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Geothermal energy is renewable, as its source is the amount of heat generated by the Earth's core, which is essentially infinite.

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Geothermal energy is renewable, as its source is the amount of heat generated by the Earth's core, which is essentially infinite.

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Pros:
- It's incredibly efficient in comparison to blast furnaces (300- 500% compared to 90% of the best furnaces).
- It's infinite.

Cons:
- Electricity is still required to operate heat pumps.
- It requires an incredible usage of water.

https://www.comfort-pro.com/2015/06/geothermal-energy-pros-and-cons/

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pro: the amount of carbon dioxide created by the burning of biofuels is equal to the CO2 absorption capacity of the plants. Hence, no extra CO2 remains in the atmosphere.

con: Although there is not enough carbon dioxide emission that would cause the greenhouse effect, yet the burning of materials to produce biofuels emits enough nitrous oxide to create a greenhouse effect.

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The biofuels engineering industry is experiencing strong growth which sparks discussions about their pros and cons.

Biofuels are liquid fuels that can be obtained from biomass like plant matter or by the waste that living creatures produce, such as manure. They are mostly used to help meet transportation fuel needs.

The two most common types of biofuels in use today are ethanol and biodiesel.

1. Ethanol - Any biomass which is high in carbohydrates can be fermented to produce Ethanol. Today, ethanol is made from starches and sugars. Ethanol can also be produced by a process called Gasification, where high temperatures and a low-oxygen environment is used to convert biomass into synthesis gas. This synthesis gas also is known as syngas, can then be chemically converted into ethanol and other fuels. Ethanol can be used as a fuel for vehicles in its pure form, but it is usually used as a gasoline additive to increase octane and improve vehicle emissions. It is widely used in the USA and in Brazil.

2. Biodiesel - is obtained by mixing alcohol which is usually methanol with vegetable oil, animal fat, or recycled cooking oil. Chemically, it consists mostly of fatty acid methyl esters. Pure biodiesel (B100) is the lowest emission diesel fuel. Biodiesel can be used in any diesel engine when mixed with mineral diesel. It is also used as an additive (typically 20%) to reduce vehicle emissions.

Solid biofuels

Examples include wood, sawdust, grass trimmings, domestic refuse, charcoal, agricultural waste, non-food energy crops, and dried manure. One of the advantages of solid biomass fuel is that it is often a by-product or residue of other processes, such as farming, animal husbandry and forestry. Hence, it is an efficient means of utilizing something that is waste & converting it into something very useful.

Then there are Second-generation biofuels. These are advanced biofuels produced from sustainable feedstock. Many second-generation biofuels are under development such as Cellulosic ethanol, Algae fuel, biohydrogen, bioethanol, biohydrogen diesel, mixed alcohols and wood diesel. This is posing a challenge to mankind as more land & resources would be required to produce feedstock for biofuels rather than getting utilized for food production.

Hence research work is going on to develop biofuel crops that would require less land and use fewer resources.

For example, algae is one such source for biofuels that could utilize unprofitable land and waste water from different industries, because it can be grown in waste water.

Also algae do not affect the human food chain.

Pros of Biofuels

Renewable - Biofuels are produced from plants and other organic material, so it can be replenished constantly. This is in contrast to the fossil fuels, which are constantly in the process of being depleted.

Clean - Biofuels are environment-friendly. They are much efficient & cleaner than fossil fuels, producing less air pollution and using materials that would otherwise be considered as waste products. Biofuels cause much less greenhouse gas emissions in comparison to the conventional types of transport fuels.

Inexpensive - They can be made easily by using local materials. Biofuels are very cheap to afford. They are the cheapest types of fuels available in the world.

Flexible - can be easily mixed with other fuels.

Additives - Biofuels like ethanol and biodiesel are better for car engines than fossil fuels. Even if not being used as the main fuel source, they can be used as additives to improve performance.

Carbon neutral - the amount of carbon dioxide created by the burning of biofuels is equal to the CO2 absorption capacity of the plants. Hence, no extra CO2 remains in the atmosphere.

Cons of Biofuels

Food vs. Biofuels - with the increased use of biofuels there will be an urge to grow more of the crops meant for biofuel production instead of food crops. Reduced food production can increase the price which may lead to inflation.

Loss of habitat - More land would be required to be cultivated for Biofuel production. This is already considered a major problem, as it may result in a loss of habitat for various species of plants and animals.

Harmful Nitrous oxide production - Although there is not enough carbon dioxide emission that would cause the greenhouse effect, yet the burning of materials to produce biofuels emits enough nitrous oxide to create a greenhouse effect.

Limitations in its use in vehicles - Some kinds of biofuels require modifications to vehicle engines and they are still being used as additives rather than a fossil fuel replacement.

Ignorance - Biofuels are not widely available and not many people are aware about it.

Biofuels are still in a nascent stage & needs lot of research & development to make it more popular. Given some of its disadvantages, one of its biggest advantages is that there are chance of it being used as a replacement of fossil fuel which is so fast depleting & is not renewable.

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Biofuels: Pros and Cons | SolarFeeds Marketplace

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The biofuels engineering industry is experiencing strong growth which sparks discussions about their pros and cons. Biofuels are liquid fuels that can be obtained from biomass like plant matter or by the waste that living creatures produce, such as manure. They are mostly used to help meet transportation fuel needs.

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Petroleum, also called crude oil or just oil, is a naturally occurring, yellowish-black liquid found in geological formations beneath the Earth's surface. It is commonly refined into various types of fuels.

A pro of petroleum is that it's a very useful in the production of fuel, such as gasoline. Nearly half of U.S. petroleum consumption is for gasoline. Oil also produces distillate which is used to create diesel fuel for trucks, trains, boats, and barges, and heating oil for homes.

A con of petroleum aside from the fact that's in an un-renewable energy source is that the toxicity of petroleum related products threaten human health. Many compounds found in oil are highly toxic and can cause cancer (carcinogenic) as well as other disease. Studies in Taiwan link proximity to oil refineries to premature births. Crude oil and petroleum distillates cause birth defects.

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pro:
Nuclear advocacy group the World Nuclear Association found that the average emissions for nuclear are 29 tonnes of CO₂ per gigawatt hour (GWh) of energy produces. This compares favourably with renewable sources like solar (85 tonnes per GWh) and wind (26 tonnes per GWh) and even more favourably with fossil fuels like lignite (1,054 tonnes per GWh) and coal (888 tonnes per GWh).
con:
Despite all the safety measures in place these nuclear plants, different factors caused them to go into meltdown, which was devastating for the environment and for local inhabitants who had to flee the affected areas.

link:https://www.power-technology.com/features/nuclear-power-pros-cons/

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pro: Much cheaper to run than other sources
con: results in large amounts of nuclear waste which takes years to degrade

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Credit: Philipp Egli

Few energy industry topics are discussed as vigorously as nuclear power. For some, nuclear is an underutilised source of energy. Cheap to produce and low carbon, they say nuclear should be a larger part of the world's energy mix as it transitions away from fossil fuels to low-carbon and renewable energy.

For others, nuclear is as bad if not worse than fossil fuels. They argue the potential of a nuclear meltdown like Chernobyl and Fukushima outweighs the positives of nuclear power, as do the excessive costs and difficulty in disposing of the nuclear waste produced.

Unlike traditional fossil fuels like coal, nuclear power does not produce greenhouse gas emissions like methane and CO ₂.

Nuclear advocacy group the World Nuclear Association found that the average emissions for nuclear are 29 tonnes of CO ₂ per gigawatt hour (GWh) of energy produces. This compares favourably with renewable sources like solar (85 tonnes per GWh) and wind (26 tonnes per GWh) and even more favourably with fossil fuels like lignite (1,054 tonnes per GWh) and coal (888 tonnes per GWh).

Nuclear produces roughly the same or less emissions as renewable sources so could be considered an environmentally friendly source of energy.

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Anti-nuclear campaigners will cite the three major nuclear meltdowns of recent times, Three Mile Island in 1979, Chernobyl in 1986 and most recently Fukushima in 2011.

Despite all the safety measures in place these nuclear plants, different factors caused them to go into meltdown, which was devastating for the environment and for local inhabitants who had to flee the affected areas.

The official immediate death toll for Chernobyl was reported as 54 people, although this is consistently disputed, and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) established a figure of 4,000 projected deaths in the longer term. Is the potential of nuclear power worth the risk of powerful radiation leaks, mass evacuations and billions spent in repairs?

Pro - Not intermittent

US President Donald Trump famously decried wind energy for its intermittency, saying: "When the wind stops blowing, that's the end of your electric." The consistent criticism of renewable energy like wind and solar is that they only produce power when the wind is blowing or the sun is shining.

Nuclear, however, is not intermittent, as nuclear power plants can run without any interruptions for a year and more without interruptions or maintenance, making it a more reliable source of energy.

One side effect of nuclear power is the amount of nuclear waste it produces. It has been estimated that the world produces some 34,000m ³ of nuclear waste each year, waste that takes years to degrade.

Anti-nuclear environmental group Greenpeace released a report in January 2019 that detailed what it called a nuclear waste 'crisis' for which there is 'no solution on the horizon'. One such solution was a concrete nuclear waste 'coffin' on Runit Island, which has begun to crack open and potentially release radioactive material.

Nuclear power plants are cheaper to run than their coal or gas rivals. It has been estimated that even factoring in costs such as managing radioactive fuel and disposal nuclear plants cost between 33 to 50% of a coal plant and 20 to 25% of a gas combined-cycle plant.

The amount of energy produced is also superior to most other forms. The US Department of Energy (DOE) estimates that to replace a 1GW nuclear power plant would require 2GW of coal or 3GW to 4GW from renewable sources to generate the same amount of electricity.

Con - Expensive to build

The initial costs for building a nuclear power plant are steep. A recent virtual test reactor in the US estimate rose from $3.5bn to $6bn alongside huge extra costs to maintain the facility.

South Africa scrapped plans to add 9.6GW of nuclear power to its energy mix due to the cost, which was estimated anywhere between $34-84bn. So whilst nuclear plants are cheap to run and produce inexpensive fuel, the initial costs are off-putting.

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Nuclear power pros and cons: What's the impact of the energy source?

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What are the pros and cons of nuclear power? Power-technology.com weighs up opinions on the controversial source of energy.

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Pro:

Con:

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Pro: Renewable and available 365 days a year, unlike other renewable sources, very inexpensive. Produces very little carbon dioxide.
Con: The main concern is the release of hydrogen sulfide, a gas that smells like rotten egg at low concentrations. Another concern is the disposal of some geothermal fluids, which may contain low levels of toxic materials.

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Geothermal energy has been used for thousands of years in some countries for cooking and heating. It is simply power derived from the Earth's internal heat.

This thermal energy is contained in the rock and fluids beneath Earth's crust. It can be found from shallow ground to several miles below the surface, and even farther down to the extremely hot molten rock called magma.

How Is It Used?

These underground reservoirs of steam and hot water can be tapped to generate electricity or to heat and cool buildings directly.

A geothermal heat pump system can take advantage of the constant temperature of the upper ten feet (three meters) of the Earth's surface to heat a home in the winter, while extracting heat from the building and transferring it back to the relatively cooler ground in the summer.

Geothermal water from deeper in the Earth can be used directly for heating homes and offices, or for growing plants in greenhouses. Some U.S. cities pipe geothermal hot water under roads and sidewalks to melt snow.

Production of Geothermal Energy

To produce geothermal-generated electricity, wells, sometimes a mile (1.6 kilometers) deep or more, are drilled into underground reservoirs to tap steam and very hot water that drive turbines linked to electricity generators. The first geothermally generated electricity was produced in Larderello, Italy, in 1904.

There are three types of geothermal power plants: dry steam, flash, and binary. Dry steam, the oldest geothermal technology, takes steam out of fractures in the ground and uses it to directly drive a turbine. Flash plants pull deep, high-pressure hot water into cooler, low-pressure water. The steam that results from this process is used to drive the turbine. In binary plants, the hot water is passed by a secondary fluid with a much lower boiling point than water. This causes the secondary fluid to turn to vapor, which then drives a turbine. Most geothermal power plants in the future will be binary plants.

Geothermal energy is generated in over 20 countries. The United States is the world's largest producer, and the largest geothermal development in the world is The Geysers north of San Francisco in California. In Iceland, many of the buildings and even swimming pools are heated with geothermal hot water. Iceland has at least 25 active volcanoes and many hot springs and geysers.

Advantages and Disadvantages

There are many advantages of geothermal energy. It can be extracted without burning a fossil fuel such as coal, gas, or oil. Geothermal fields produce only about one-sixth of the carbon dioxide that a relatively clean natural-gas-fueled power plant produces. Binary plants release essentially no emissions. Unlike solar and wind energy, geothermal energy is always available, 365 days a year. It's also relatively inexpensive; savings from direct use can be as much as 80 percent over fossil fuels.

But it has some environmental problems. The main concern is the release of hydrogen sulfide, a gas that smells like rotten egg at low concentrations. Another concern is the disposal of some geothermal fluids, which may contain low levels of toxic materials. Although geothermal sites are capable of providing heat for many decades, eventually specific locations may cool down.

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Geothermal energy has been used for thousands of years in some countries for cooking and heating. It is simply power derived from the Earth's internal heat. This thermal energy is contained in the rock and fluids beneath Earth's crust.

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Pros: Petroleum can be safely and easily extracted at a low cost. Petroleum is also a fuel of high density.
Con: Petroleum has toxic byproducts (crude oil). Additionally, the heavy materials used to extract petroleum require heavy maintenance.

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Is petroleum the best source of fuel for our day to day activities? Here are several pros and cons of petroleum that will help us have a clear picture of this product.

Petroleum is the most common as well as widely used fossil fuel around the world. As an energy resource, the product is obtained from the ground as a mixture of liquid, solid, and gaseous hydrocarbons. Besides the popularity, I bet it is quite crucial to also take note of the various pros and cons of petroleum.

As the environmental campaigns continue to create awareness, there have been great debates regarding the environmental benefits of petroleum versus environmental effects of petroleum.

Petroleum indeed has its advantages and downsides; therefore, it is important to weigh both sides of the product.

Here is a list of various pros and cons of petroleum that aim at informing us how petroleum affects our environment.

Advantages of Petroleum

Here are some of the major pros of petroleum oil.

One of the main benefits that have propelled the popularity of petroleum is that it is sturdy and can power up any vehicle. Whether diesel or gasoline engines, they all run by oil.

Cars that use petroleum as a source of energy can travel faster and cover longer distances. The use of petroleum is quite advantageous as it meets our needs to quickly get things done and move from one place to another.

The petroleum industry is a field that has been in existence since the 40th Century BC and has been evolving as time goes on. Nevertheless, one thing that remains constant is its usefulness and reliability compared to alternative sources of energy, such as solar and wind.

With petroleum, achievable outcomes are easily predicted, which can be quite hard with solar and wind. Additionally, given that oil engines are a mature technology, they are rendered to be highly reliable.

As we noted earlier that petroleum is an authoritative energy source, it is also important to note that it is also an essential commodity in a wide array of industries. It is a critical and dominant player that enhances the growth of various industries.

The high heat value and its ability to power massive engines have made industries heavily rely on petroleum.

With the evolution around the petroleum industry, the current technologies used to extract oil below the earth's surface are quite advanced. The machinery used as well as techniques are sophisticated and developed, which makes the extraction process easy. The geological conditions and terrain are not a hindrance since some oil wells are drilled in the ocean.

Petroleum refinery technology has also made some huge steps thus making the refinery process quite easy. The adoption of the mechanization process has dramatically reduced the physical as well as technical tasks, thus minimizing the extraction costs.

Cheaper extraction and production costs result in more affordable petroleum products than most energy sources.

The extraction of oil beneath the ground is a mining activity, just like any other. Mining has been known to be quite a risky activity with people having to go tens of meters below the surface.

However, that is not the case with petroleum since the process is mechanized and no one needs to go underground.

Petroleum, as a raw product, is transported in liquid form to the refinery factories. This fact makes it easy to transport from one point to another.

Petroleum can be transported using pipes and vehicles. Besides, petroleum can also be carried through ships hence enabling transportation of this energy source around the world.

Unlike most energy resources that lose their potential energy levels with time, petroleum does not. During the shipment of some energy resources, they lose nearly half of their potential levels. At times, the energy resources can be I remote regions which might not be suitable to set up factories.

Petroleum is quite the opposite as it can be transported miles away from the extraction location to the refinery factories without any alterations. Therefore, it is easy to set up refinery factories around populated centers for consumption rather than at the extraction sites. The product is thus accessible in remote locations at minimal costs.

Petroleum is one energy resource that offers numerous usage opportunities. It is an energy resource that can be refined to provide various forms of energy sources. When we refine the crude oil, it provides more useful products such as gasoline, asphalt base, diesel fuel, and kerosene, among many.

Due to the diverse uses of petroleum, it creates a possibility that nearly everyone uses this product at one point or another in a day. Gasoline is the most common form in which petroleum, and that we use every day.

This energy source is used to power up our transportation machines, and heating and lighting our homes, among many others.

It is undeniable that petroleum generates quite a handsome revenue. Some states which are known to have oil wells have indicated some substantial economic growth. In other states, petroleum extraction is the main economic activity that the country depends on, for instance, Kuwait.

A country like Kuwait, petroleum accounts for about half of its GDP as well as 95% of the government income and export revenues. In these regions, the improvement of the living standards, as well as infrastructures, hugely depend on how the petroleum industry fairs in the global market.

According to some statistics collected in 2015, the total number of employments within the petroleum industry in the United States was 1.39 million individuals. In 2017, around 170,200 individuals were employed either directly or indirectly by the Norwegian Petroleum industry.

Besides, jobs within the petroleum industry have had a considerable impact on the increasing population within the Middle East.

Whenever there are discussions about the pros and cons of petroleum, we always love to crucify petroleum for its inability to be renewable. I agree that renewable resources are environmentally friendly than nonrenewable resources. But, did you know petroleum plays a huge part in the creation of some of these renewable energy sources?

Well, if you don't believe me, allow me to shed some light. The solar panels that capture solar energy require petroleum for their manufacturing. The photovoltaic panels need over a hundred liters of petroleum to manufacture only one panel.

Petroleum has such high density since it comprises of hydrocarbons which have an intense density level. An average of about 10,000 kilo-calories gets generated when we burn a kilogram of oil.

The positive side of this fact is that we only need very small amounts of petroleum to create such huge amounts of energy.

Petroleum was used by the ancient Chinese as a medical solution for some skin problems. Currently, we use petroleum to manufacture petroleum jelly.

From a medical perspective, petroleum jelly possesses over twenty medicinal values. Additionally, fossil fuels, such as petroleum, have been known to produce anesthetics.

Depleted Oil Fields Have The Potential to Be Productive

Once the oil levels diminish, and the oil runs dry, we no longer see any economic value on the land. However, even after the depletion of petroleum, we can restore these lands and be reuse them for some productive activity. The restoration and renovation process can take at most a year or less.

One can use the land to conserve the environment by planting trees and some vegetation such a grass. This restoration may as well turn it into a nature park for recreational purposes. The same applies to the mining drills in the sea/ocean.

Disadvantages of Petroleum

Having discussed the advantages, let us have a look at the downsides of petroleum. I believe that a critical analysis of both the pros and cons of petroleum will help us widen our perspectives about petroleum as an energy resource.

The cons of petroleum include:

The use of petroleum as a source of energy mostly involves combustion. Burning petroleum products leads to emission of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, hydro-fluorocarbons, and many more.

The greenhouse gases pollute the environment as they possess the ability to absorb the infrared radiation emitted from the surface of the earth, thus contributing to global warming.

Petroleum can also pollute water bodies and significantly affect marine life. It is basic science that oil is less dense than water; hence, it floats on water.

If petroleum finds its way into water bodies, it will float on top of the water, thus forming a covering that will hinder aeration. Ways in which petroleum can spill into water bodies include faulty tankers in the ocean/sea.

When we extract petroleum as a raw matter, one ought to refine the crude oil. This is because, it typically exists as a mixture of hydrocarbons, traces of sulfuric as well as other compounds.

During the refining process, toxic gasses, such as carbon monoxide, are emitted together with some harmful materials, such as plastic.

Petroleum, being a fossil fuel, is a scarce resource with high global demand. As a result, petroleum prices keep hiking as some oil wells dry out. Recent statistics indicated that we have already utilized over half of the oil reserves in the world.

Although it is a reliable source of energy currently, we can't say that it will last forever. It is a non-renewable source of energy, meaning that once petroleum is extracted and consumed as a product, it can never be reused or replaced.

A significant decrease in petroleum supply might result in some nasty scenarios, and economic fights, for instance. Therefore, we need to put alternatives into place to supplement and reduce the over-reliance on petroleum.

Due to human greed, what comes as a blessing turns into a curse. We all have heard cases where people and governments exploit petroleum for political gain. However, this mostly happens in countries where the Petroleum industry is the only main economic activity.

If a state over-relies on petroleum, ill-minded individuals can toss a state to and fro by controlling the petroleum industry based on selfish motives. The worst-hit region in the Middle East but the good news is that they are diversifying their economies to other domains besides petroleum.

Well, extracting oil is indeed straightforward. However, it is essential to note that the machinery, as well as any other equipment, require regular maintenance.

Intensive monitoring of the machine is involved, and maintenance has to be performed to prevent any accidents or oil spillage. The maintenance is quite engaging and demanding too.

Conclusion On Pros And Cons of Petroleum

It is agreeable that petroleum is such an essential product in our current world that will be hard to do without. Also, from our list of pros and cons of petroleum, the advantages happen to be more than the disadvantages.

However, this should not be a reason to ignore the environmental effects of petroleum.

Do you think the advantages of using petroleum outweigh its disadvantages? Share with us in our comments.

Related Resources

Green Coast is a renewable energy community solely focused on helping people better understand renewable energy technologies and the environment.

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Is petroleum the best source of fuel for our day to day activities? Here are several pros and cons of petroleum that will help us have a clear picture of this product. Petroleum is the most common as well as widely used fossil fuel around the world.

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Pros: Renewable source of energy, Close to 0 pollution, low requirements (Windy areas are commonly found almost anywhere)
Cons: High cost, difficult to repair if broken, requires large amounts of land, can harm local birds

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pro
Less carbon emissions. When bio fuel is  burned, they release as much carbon as they absorbed during growth.

con:
-needs alot of labour to make

and you need to change the engine of a car to use biofuel

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/z8k9v9q/revision/3

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Comparing renewable sources of energy - Energy resources - AQA Synergy - GCSE Combined Science Revision - AQA Synergy - BBC Bitesize

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Revise and learn about the different needs for energy and where it comes from with this BBC Bitesize Combined Science AQA Synergy study guide.

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Pros:
The up front cost of a hydroelectric power plant is high but maintaining it and keeping it running is fairly inexpensive as river water is an infinite resource.
Cons:
Hydroelectricity could leave millions of people without power in the result of a serious drought.

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Although renewable sources of energy such as solar and wind are fast catching up with the evaporating hydroelectric power, it still holds the largest share of the global electricity. In fact, in the 20th century, hydroelectric power was so large that it was called white coal for its power and plenty. Hydroelectric power was the first and simplest electricity generation technology.

The initial production utilized timber, granite block and low dam of rock construction to gather water from surface runoff and rainfall into a reservoir. The water was then channeled to a pipe and then to a water wheel (turbine). The channeled water fell on a turbine blade spinning it and the connected shaft.

The shaft was connected to a standby generator that produced electricity when rotated. The technology has since grown by leaps and bounds, and the water is mostly collected from falling and flowing rivers. The technologies used today include impoundment, diversion, and pumped storage hydropower.

Hydroelectric power is classified as a renewable energy resource. Why? Because of the water. You see water vaporizes into clouds and recycles back to the surface of the earth as precipitation. The water cycle is continually revitalized and can be utilized to generate electricity over and over

Hydroelectric power simply means the generation of power from falling or streaming water. To produce power, dams are constructed on rivers. The constant running flow of water is then used to move the turbines.

The rotating turbines then use the kinetic energy of moving water which in turn causes the magnets inside the generator to rotate and generate electricity. The water then exits the turbine and is returned to the stream below the dam. Moving water is therefore a powerful source of energy that can lighten cities, towns and even countries.

Although producing of energy through hydropower does not emit any greenhouse gases but the building of huge dams on the rivers and blocking them can have serious environmental and social effects in the form of altering the normal flow of the river, blocking of migratory fish passage, a sudden occurrence of floods, increase in a number of earthquakes and displacing of local communities.
In this article, we're going to explore both the pros and the cons so you can have a better idea of what is being discussed in regards to hydroelectric power.
Pros of Hydroelectric Power

1. Renewable Energy Source

Hydroelectric energy is renewable. It is considered as renewable because it uses the earth's water to produce electricity. The sun shines and the water evaporates from the earth's surface, forms clouds and then falls back on to the earth in the form of rain and snow. Rivers and lakes that are typically leveraged to generate hydroelectric power will never disappear

This implies that we can't use it up and we don't have to worry about it becoming more expensive because of scarcity. On the other hand, there are just a few suitable repositories where hydroelectric power plants could be built and fewer places where such undertakings are beneficial.

2. Clean Energy Source

As you may expect, hydroelectric power is one of the "green" and "clean" alternative energy sources that are out there. Creating power with hydroelectric energy is not contaminating itself. The energy produced by hydroelectric plants do not produce any toxic or greenhouse gases that pollute the atmosphere. The main contamination happens when the power plants are being built.

The hydroelectric plants emit fewer greenhouse gasses than fossil based power sources, which helps mitigate climate change, acid rains, and smog. Hydroelectric power also improves the air quality we breathe because they don't emit air pollutants. On top of that, the pants don't produce toxic byproducts.

3. Cost Competitive Energy Source

Hydroelectric power is a cost-competitive source of energy even though the upfront building costs can be high. River water is an infinite resource, which is not affected, whatsoever, by market volatility. Fossil fuel-based energy sources like coal, oil and natural gas are deeply affected by market volatility, which drives up or considerably lower their prices.

Hydroelectric power plants have an average lifetime of 50 - 100 years, meaning they are strategic investments that can support many future generations. They can also be easily upgraded to fall in line with the modern day's technological requirements and have considerably lower operating and maintenance costs.

4. Contributes to the Development of Remote Communities

Hydroelectric power plants supply electricity to remote communities, attract construction of highways, industry, and commerce. All these activities serve to uplift the economy of these remote areas, increase access to education and healthcare and enhance the overall life quality of residents.

Hydroelectricity technology has been quantified for over a century. People have already come to grips with its effects through steps for prevention and compensation of damages. It's almost always available where development is needed.

5. Recreational Opportunities

The lake that forms behind the dam can be used for recreational opportunities, offering activities such as fishing, boating and swimming. The lake's water can also be used for irrigation purposes. Apart from this, large dams become a hotspot for tourist attractions.

Hydroelectric power plants have the capacity to store vast quantities of water for irrigation when rainfall disappears and for consumption when there is a shortage. The ability to store water is advantageous since it shields water tables from exhaustion and minimizes our susceptibility to droughts and floods.

6. Fundamental Vehicle for Sustainable Development

Energy technologies instituted and run in environmentally sensible, economically viable and socially responsible models symbolize the greatest concepts of sustainable development. This means development models in the present day that addresses individuals' needs without affecting the capability of coming generations for tackling their own needs. Hydroelectric power is among these energy technologies.

Cons of Hydroelectric Power

1. Environmental Damage

Interruptions of natural water flow can have a great impact on the river ecosystem and the environment. Some fish species and other creatures normally migrate when there is food shortage or when the breeding season begins. The building of dams could cut off their paths leading to a lack of reproduction or fish deaths.

The natural results of hydropower are identified with intercessions in nature because of damming of water, altered water flow, and the development of streets and power lines.

Hydroelectric power plants may influence fish and the way that they move and migrate, but this is a complicated process to research and it is hard to make a determination based on that one factor. More client investments identified with abuse of fish species, which means that this is a field that a number of people have strong feelings about.

2. High Upfront Capital Costs

Power plants can be incredibly expensive to build, no matter what type you maybe building. Hydroelectric power plants are not a special case to this. Hydroelectric power plants are very costly to construct due to logistical challenges like topography, laying foundations underwater and the materials used to build it.

The only upside is that after completion, it will require less maintenance. Still, the hydroelectric plant will have to operate for a long time to recoup the money injected into the construction.

3. Might Cause Conflicts

Countries that harbor rich sources of hydroelectric power typically build dams across the river to harness the water. While this act is laudable, it can result in interruption of natural water flow from one specific direction to another.

When a particular location doesn't require a lot of water, it is channeled to another location to cater for those wanting to build dams in those locations. However, if the scarcity of water hits that particular area, it can trigger off conflict, and this means water channeled to the dams have to be halted.

4. May Lead to Droughts

One of the main downsides to setting up hydroelectric power plants is the risk of local droughts. The overall energy and power costs are discovered depending upon water accessibility. Accessibility of water can be significantly impacted by dry spells leading to individuals not accessing the electricity they need.

5. Risk of Floods in Lower Elevations

Communities living downstream are vulnerable to flooding should strong water currents be released from the dam. In the long run, the livelihood of people living in those areas might be destroyed.

6. Carbon dioxide and Methane Emission

The hydroelectric power reservoir emits vast quantities of carbon dioxide and methane. These areas near the dam are full of water, and the plants underneath the water begin to rot and decompose. This kind of decomposition without oxygen involvement gives off vast amounts of carbon dioxide and methane, which leads to an increase in pollution levels.

7. Geological Damage

Construction of large-scale dams can contribute to grave geological damage. A classic example of geological damage is the construction of the Hoover Dam in the United States that caused earthquakes and led to the depression of the earth' surface in the area.

8. Concerns About the Safety of the Dam

The safety of the dam is paramount for the nearby population. In the modern-day where acts of terror are rife, dams can be a major target to kill thousands of people. This is why after construction and fully operational, the dam has to be accorded maximum security. Security adds up the overall cost of constructing a hydropower plant.

People living along low lying areas are often in the danger of floods as the areas might get swept away when water is released in full force from the dam. Apart from this, these people are forcibly moved out so that construction of these dams can continue.

Construction of dams in specific areas with the ability to generate vast amounts of power can present a myriad of challenges. Even though hydroelectric power plants comes with many benefits to the end-user, variables exist that can hold back their development. With that reason in mind, it's prudent to weigh the pros and cons of this form of energy when looking to construct one.

A good course of action is to thoroughly analyze local statistics prior to building up an innovative structure in the area. The many key considerations are that the dam should not affect the people and environment around. It should also be in line with the local safety requirements.

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Various Pros and Cons of Hydroelectric Power - Conserve Energy Future

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Although renewable sources of energy such as solar and wind are fast catching up with the evaporating hydroelectric power, it still holds the largest share of the global electricity. In fact, in the 20th century, hydroelectric power was so large that it was called white coal for its power and plenty.

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Pros:
It is a form of renewable energy, there are 0 carbon emissions, there is predictable energy generation and there is a high power output

Cons:

There is limited site availability, it is very expensive to produce, it had a negative environmental impact, there is a high energy demand