Why is Hydro electricity generation a taboo subject?

Question

The only options the government propose are nuclear and wind turbines, is this because of Americian influence?

Answer 1

It's because to get hydro power you need to create a dam and that lowers water levels in the river. It could be detrimental to wildlife in the area, both the area where the river lowers and where the lake raises.

Answer 2

Are you talking about electricity created from Hydrogen or electricity created by running water? In all cases of energy creation there are pros and cons. One of the big cons of many alternative power supplies is cost and limitations on current available systems used to capture the energy. Now that is of course the limitation on the government. Almost every home in America (where the family lives in their own house) could benefit from a medium sized solar panel placed on top of the house. There have been some civilians talking lately about what a tax break for people using such alternative energy sources would be. Also the oil companies pay big lobbyist to fight for oil becuase they want the money. All energy can't be oil though for many reasons. So we also use coal and natural gas. For the coal miners who have died I express my deepest simpithies. However, it was not due to envrionmentalists that they died. Rather the mines in which they had died were citied more times than the number of men who died. It was the fault of the mine owners for not keeping the mines safe. Nuclear power can be quite safe, however the waste it creats is not. Until we find some way of disposing the waste more practically, it won't become the main source. Where available and practical alternative energy sources are used though. And hydo power of either kind should not be considered taboo. The new hyrdogen power that is currently being developed for mainstream consumption is more exciting than taboo. I think it's just taken so long to be developed that people are skeptical. It's already making its way to homes all across America. Give the country a few more years and you won't be dissapointed. Even money greedy politicians can't stop mother nature. They could sure piss her off though.

Answer 3

I wouldn't say it is taboo, there are just other alternatives that are more suitable in most locations. Hydro power sources require a dam to impound water. Existing dams are found are all over the US and the world, China is just finishing the largest in the world. In order to generate this type of power, you need a constantly flowing stream and a good place to put a dam, not too many of these places around. Most difficult to overcome may however be the environmental constraints. Environmentalists are already trying to tear down dams on the Colorado and elsewhere. So maybe this power source is taboo with enviros, but so are most things that could benefit man.

Answer 4

Renewable and sustainable pass hand in hand right here. it is all right down to a minimum of one factor. water. If it rains, it is renewable. If retains on raining then it is sustainable. so a strategies as development dams and destroying ecosystems, this is finished rubbish. on an identical time as some ecosystems would perish others are created. Water born ecosystems flourish. shall we take the beaver working example. whilst they build a dam and alter the atmosphere above the dam fairly a lot of different species earnings. Beavers build dams for a reason and so can we. what's the version? one situation we did no longer enable for as quickly as we outfitted in the previous dams became to contain migratory fishes. Now cutting-part dams contain those pathways and countless the older dams those pathways have been outfitted to allow for this. right here in New Zealand the place ability era is predominately hydro, environmental effect is taken heavily and the place new ecosystems are created they ought to be maintained. Lake ranges at the back of the dam are strictly controlled. so a strategies as i'm worried, the reward of hydro era a strategies out weigh the negative aspects.

Answer 5

No. my dad was involved in the design of a hydro electric dam.
Its a good power scource, but you do need geography cabable of doing it. Everywhere, ecenomicaly cabable, in the uk, has been developed. you cant move mountains, with medium term finnancial plans, and thats all we'll ever have.
Dont be affraid of nuclear power. you really wouldnt want to live in a world with no electricity, civil unrest, no police responce, no radios, communication, banks, money, and the list goes on, far more unthinkable than the y2k supposed meltdown. The small risk, is a small price to pay for what weve got. Do you really want to jepordise what would certainly happen, by what might happen,and you dont know exaclty what, but were still here in the light of Chernoyble, the lands recovering, and it was our fault, denying russia, scientific shared knowladge, and forcing them to run a creaky old station because they had to.

Answer 6

There are problems with all these large scale projects. Dams tend to silt up, and increase salinity downstream. Nuclear...enough said. And wind turbines are 'unsightly'.
Wind and wave turbines are the best bet then, especially as if the military stop blocking the proposed schemes on the ground that it interferes with radar; wave and wind farms can be sited offshore.

Answer 7

No, but hydropower is hard on fish migration. If there is a major fish migration pathway in a river, then environmentalists will oppose hydroelectric power.

Also, not all rivers are suitable for hydro power. There has to be enough water moving, and there has to be a place to put the water that the hydro dam creates.

Answer 8

Environmentalism would tear down the hydro electric plants given a chance. The only type of energy they support is the kind ypu can't depend on or is too expensive make useful.

Answer 9

What are you talking about? We have hydro electric plants all over this country and around the world. Has something changed that I'm not aware of?

Answer 10

It is a great solution. Always has been. But we must be concerned about the little fishies. It is a far better thing that coal miners die (67 this year) and we pump out pollution from the coal fired generaters than harm a single fish.

Answer 11

They are building an underground hydro plant in Scotland just near Loch Ness.

Listen here.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/engineeringsolutions/pip/j5cfs/