Roy Lee

Advisor:  Brad Baldwin
SLU Festival of Science 2001 Poster Presentation

Exploration of Hydropower as a Green Technology

Abstract:

Due to the overwhelming 6.3 billion people on earth, energy production is very important in ensuring the well being for future generations. Presently, the US heavily relies on the natural resources of coal and oil. The US only makes up 2.2% of the world’s population, but is the world’s highest emitter of carbon dioxide. We must look for an alternative fuel source such hydropower. Dams are a form of hydropower that we already rely heavily on. Many people speculate whether dams are a source of hydropower worth exploring. Dams have made an important and significant contribution to human development, but in too many cases an unacceptable and often unnecessary price has been paid to secure those benefits.

Many people think that dams may not produce nitrogen oxide that causes acid rain or the carbon dioxide that contributes to global warming, but rotting vegetation that gets washed down contributes to extensive global warming There are so many problems that are associated with building these monsters. The destruction of much of the aquatic life is one of problems associated with hydropower. According to Last year, 3.32% of the United States’ total energy consumption was through hydropower. Presently, only 3% of US dams are used to generate electricity.  In 1990, the total energy consumption was .39% higher in hydropower than 2000 in. Dams only supply the elite who can afford hydropower. The lower classes do not consume anywhere near as much energy as spoiled Americans. Investors believe that hydropower isn’t worth exploring for the future because of the amount of time and money spent in these projects. Getting a license for a dam could take anywhere from 8 to 12 years as opposed to 18 months for a gas-generator. In essence, consumers look at the short run. Dams are too much of a hassle. There are 45,000 large dams built around the world. A total of more than 80 million people have been forced out of their homes. Half of them are from India’s Narmada and China’s Yangtze River.  Dams such as China’s Three Gorges Dam and dams in the Amazon pose the same problems. If we look at the world as a whole, dams only supply 19% of the world’s electricity and 16% of the world’s food production. We spend more time fixing technology that even using it. Advocates of hydropower believe it is worth exploring because of the amount of energy it generates a tad bit of waste.

Dams should be avoided at all costs through better management of water and energy. If dams were a major trend in the US, then the endangered salmon populations would have already been extinct. . This study was untaken to determine whether or not hydropower is the most green and effective way to produce energy.