Реферат: Environmental impacts of renewable energy technologies

Despite these efforts, however, hydropower is almost certainly approaching the limit of its potential in the United States. Although existing hydro facilities can be upgraded with more efficient turbines, other plants can be refurbished, and some new small plants can be added, the total capacity and annual generation from hydro will probably not increase by more than 10 to 20 percent and may decline over the long term because of increased demand on water resources for agriculture and drinking water, declining rainfall (perhaps caused by global warming), and efforts to protect or restore endangered fish and wildlife.

Conclusion

So, no single solution can meet our society's future energy needs. The solution instead will come from the family of diverse energy technologies that do not deplete our natural resources or destroy our environment. That’s the final decision that the nature imposes. Today mankind’s survival directly depends upon how quickly we can renew the polluting fuel an energy complex we have now with sound and environmentally friendly technologies.

Certainly, alternative sources of energy have their own drawbacks, just like everything in the world, but, in fact, they seem minor in comparison with the hazards posed by conventional sources. Moreover, if talking about the dangers posed by new energy technologies, there is a trend of localization. Really, these have almost no negative global effect, such as air pollution.

Moreover, even the minor effects posed by geothermal plants or solar cells can be overseen and prevented if the appropriate measures are taken. So, when using alternatives, we operate a universal tool that can be tuned to suit every purpose. They reduce the terrible impact the human being has had on the environment for the years of his existense, thus drawing nature and technology closer than ever before for the last 2 centuries.

Sources

1. "Biomass fuel." DISCovering Science. Gale Research, 1996. Reproduced in Student Resource Center College Edition. Farmington Hills, Mich.: Gale Group. September, 1999;

2. "Alternative energy sources." U*X*L Science; U*X*L, 1998;

3. Duffield, Wendell A., John H. Sass, and Michael L. Sorey, 1994, Tapping the Earth’s Natural Heat: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 1125;

4. Cool Energy: Renewable Solutions to Environmental Problems, by Michael Brower, MIT Press, 1992;

5. Powerful Solutions: Seven Ways to Switch America to Renewable Electricity, UCS, 1999;