The  position paper is a written report outlining someone’s attitude or intentions regarding a particular matter. In this case we were to argue on the best sources of renewable energy. i chose hydropower as my best source of renewable energy

Saving the Planet with Hydropower.
Marvelous Aninye
October 20, 2018




Laúca Hydropower Plant in Angola

The most critical issue in the context of the environmental state of the planet is energy sources. The global population has grown dependent on energy sources to thrive. They rely on these energy sources for heat production, powering objects and generating electricity. Today, the human civilization consumes 110 times more energy than the early humans, who had fewer energy requirements. The problem related to energy sources is pollution caused by the extractions and usage of some of this energy sources. Over the years, the depletion of some of the widely used energy sources has prompted the exploration for green and abundant energy sources. On January 30 of 2018, President Trump announced in his State of the Union speech that his administration had “ended the war on beautiful, clean coal.” The President made those remarks to propose the idea of further promoting the use of fracking to harvest natural gases from the earth crust for the mass production and exportation of energy. Fracking may be cheap and productive than coal; however, fracking shows a high potential release of greenhouse gases and severe cases of droughts. Hence, the proposal for the use of a renewable energy source because of its abundance and less impact on the planet. Hydro-power is a suitable alternative source for energy production and energy saving because hydro-power is not just abundant in supply but also a non-pollutant and reliable source of energy.

Hydro-power has existed long before the discovery of coal and fuel. Thousands of years ago, flowing water turned waterwheels at mills to grind grain; in the 21st century, Hydro-power plants convert the energy of flowing water into mechanical energy, rotating turbines to create electricity. Hydro-power is said to be the most extensively used renewable energy source in the world. It survived the industrial era as one of the leading renewable energy sources. In the United States, it provided 272.1 billion kWh, which was 66% of all energy produced from renewable sources in 2009.
Although when compared to some alternative energy sources, hydro-power still shows some potential setbacks such as space available for large hydro-power plants; In the United States, almost all the best sites for the large hydro-power plants seem to have been occupied. Small hydro-power plants are expensive to build and depend on rain and melting snow to fill reservoirs. Additionally, environmental groups vote against constructions of dams because it ruins streams, dries up waterfalls and alters aquatic habitats.

Various articles have been published on hydroelectric dam’s effect on the climate. Hydroelectric dams were compared to fossil fuel, saying it creates even more greenhouse gases than fossil fuels. The article explains that it is due to the seasonal nature of tropical rainfall. In the dry season, water levels in reservoirs fall, exposing large flat, muddy areas where plants proliferate. When the rainy season raises the water level again, the plants are submerged. They then die and decay through an oxygen-free (anaerobic) process that releases the plants’ carbon as methane, another greenhouse gas. Molecule for molecule, methane is about twenty times as effective as carbon dioxide at causing climate change. Tropical dams, therefore, can act as factories that transform carbon dioxide into methane, contributing to global warming. (In D. S. Blanch field)
Nonetheless, Hydro-power devises practical ways for resolving the crisis with using renewable energy sources for power generation. Hydro-power is renewable; This means energy produced from this source is unlimited. This energy is harnessed from waterfalls and downhill streams. In developing countries, hydro-power can be linked to the irrigation system of farms, supplying water necessary for agriculture. Hydro-power is a non-polluting source of energy. Compared to fracking, there are no gaseous emissions or oil spills. Hydro-power utilizes only water for the system’s operation to generate electricity. Hydro-power is also an exceptionally reliable source of energy. There are little to no fluctuations in the output of electric power by the hydroelectric plants. This means the energy input always result in a higher production because as long water is present, electricity can be generated. Hydro-power shows flexibility in control. For example, when power consumption is low, the water flow can be reduced, and the magazine levels are being also conserved when power consumption is high.

     
This is an image from the Global Status report showing, the leading source of power in that year
According to Global Status Report, 28 GW of new hydro-power capacity (excluding pumped storage) was commissioned in 2015, increasing total global capacity to about 1,064 GW. It is estimated that global generation rose to about 3,940 TWh. (Paris: REN21 Secretariat).

Gorlov implemented a method with hydro-power to improve the production of energy. Using Gorlov’s turbines that are designed to harness the kinetic energy of the moving water without the need for dams. The motive behind the new perspective was to combat the disadvantages dams causes to fish species like salmons and the effects on orcas of which salmons are their primary source of feeding. The idea behind this technology is to place these turbines under a bridge that have a large ocean current to generate energy.
The use of hydro-power with wave power shows a lot of benefits for the economy and the planet, due to it being non-pollutant, being reliable and flexible. The situation is causing the earth to steadily creep into a severe scenario called the “Hothouse earth,” due to Global warming causing fluctuations in the world’s temperature range. That affects the ice caps, causes hurricanes and flooding in the world today. Hydro-power combined with tidal or wave power as the leading source of energy production can alleviate this situation. No one knows when the feedback from all the emissions will become too severe, that is why we need to preserve our earth before it is irreparable.




References
Renewable energy. (2011). In D. S. Blanch field (Ed.), Environmental Encyclopedia. Detroit, MI: Gale. Retrieved from https://link-galegroup-com.ccny-proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/apps/doc/CV2644151162/OVIC?u=cuny_ccny&sid=OVIC&xid=fa4628fe.
Davis, J. (2006). Advances in Hydropower Technology Can Protect the Environment. In D. Gunkel (Ed.), Current Controversies. Alternative Energy Sources. Detroit, MI: Greenhaven Press. (Reprinted from OnEarth, 2005, Spring, 27) Retrieved from https://link-galegroup-com.ccny-proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/apps/doc/EJ3010426215/OVIC?u=cuny_ccny&sid=OVIC&xid=e8ecef4f
Alters, S. M. (2011). Renewable Energy. In Information Plus Reference Series. Energy: Supplies, Sustainability, and Costs (2011 ed.). Detroit, MI: Gale. Retrieved from https://link-galegroup-com.ccny-proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/apps/doc/EJ191910106/OVIC?u=cuny_ccny&sid=OVIC&xid=7c6bacdb
Nelson, S. A., Prof. (Ed.). (2015, October 19). Energy Resources. Retrieved October 26, 2018, from https://www.tulane.edu/~sanelson/eens1110/energy.htm
M., K., W., Parker, F., M., R., . . . Muzzerson, J. (2014, February 21). Hydroelectric Energy Pros and Cons. Retrieved October 26, 2018, from http://energyinformative.org/hydroelectric-energy-pros-and-cons/
REN21. 2016.  Renewables 2016 Global Status Report (Paris: REN21 Secretariat). Retrieved October 22, 2018.

This entry is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International license.