EESA01H3 Lecture 12: lecture 12 enviro sci
14 Dec 2015
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Alternatives exist that are renewable and less environmentally damaging than fossil fuels. Principle conventional alternatives: hydroelectricity: from moving water (mostly via dams, nuclear power: from nuclear fission, biomass energy: from burning biomass (plants, trees, peat) Considered conventional because they already play an important part. Can use gravity to your advantage - build a dam on a river and can now control the flow of water. The water level behind the dam builds up but you flood massive areas cause of the build up behind. Allow the water to enter through another part of the dam that can turn an internal turbine that produces electricity. Does not produce an carbon but there are negative impacts: habitat destruction upstream (flooded) and downstream (too little water, alters natural river hydrology, fragments habitat for fish; other wildlife. The force that results in splitting, is neutrons that result (get two smaller mass atoms and neutrons)
