Briefly discuss the pros and cons of hydropower
What will be an ideal response?
Hydropower is renewable and clean; it produces enormous amounts of energy with little air pollution. The EROI of hydroelectric plants are on the order of 10:1, among the highest of any energy process. Fossil fuels are used in the construction and maintenance of dams, however, and recent evidence suggests that reservoirs release some methane, a greenhouse gas. Damming rivers destroys habitat because it floods areas above dam sites and reduces water flow below dam sites. Also, any extensive hydroelectric project will cause the displacement of human settlements. Dams disrupt flooding cycles of rivers, affect the dynamics of estuaries and prevent floodplains from receiving nutrient-laden sediments. Dams also cause thermal pollution that kills native fish. They block the passage of fish and other aquatic organisms within the ecosystem, fragmenting rivers and reducing biodiversity. These concerns require that extensive environmental impact studies be made prior to undertaking a hydropower project.
You might also like to view...
The outer planets lie at great distances from the Sun, and are composed mainly of hydrogen and helium gas surrounding rocky cores.
Answer the following statement true (T) or false (F)
"Cold fusion"
A. involves using a rare isotope of uranium. B. has not been clearly demonstrated in the laboratory. C. is a very cheap and efficient way to carry out fusion reactions. D. can be used to produce fuel for future nuclear reactors.
Shaking during an earthquake can
A. trigger landslides. B. cause rigid buildings to collapse. C. generate a tsunami. D. liquefy unconsolidated sediments, causing destruction of buildings on top of them. E. All of these choices are correct.
Only about 2 % of the light energy absorbed by algae is ultimately synthesized into food and made available to herbivores
Indicate whether the statement is true or false