Download Hydroelectric Power for Columbia

Hydroelectric Power for Columbia
Dear Mr. Juan Manuel Santos due to climate changed caused by the enhanced greenhouse
effect is flooding. As global warming continuous there is a warmer atmospheric air in Columbia which is
causing to create more water vapors. The increased amount of water vapors exacerbates global
warming and it also increases the chance of flooding. This is due to the fact that the increased amount
of water vapors will go up into the sky, and when it comes down as rain there is an extreme
precipitation that is causing the country to flood. Another problem to flooding is the melting of the ice
caps of the Andes Mountain. The up rise in temperature in Columbia causes the ice to melt, when it
does rivers overflowing producing flood. Therefore to reduce the greenhouse gas and the risk of
flooding Columbia needs to utilize hydroelectric energy.
Inside a Hydropower Plant
(Bonsor)
To solve the problem of flooding Columbia
needs to utilize hydroelectric energy to produce
renewable energy. Columbia could utilize the rivers in
Columbia to make hydroelectric power plants.
Hydroelectric power plants uses dams to build large
water reservoirs in rivers or lakes that can be used to
spin the turbine. The water from the reservoir goes
down through a penstock when the gate is released
by the help of gravity, water that is moving down the
penstock builds up pressure, the water then hits the
turbine causing the blades to turn, when the turbine
turns the magnets inside the generator spins around
copper coil induces alternating current. The
alternating current’s current is increased by using a
transformer then sent out in power lines. The used
water is then released into the river’s downstream.
(Bonsor) The diagram on the left side shows the parts
to a hydropower plant.
Hydroelectric power stations can be a great renewable power plant in Columbia. When looking
at Columbia’s current state there are large amount of rainfalls. (Annual rainfalls ranging from 30inches
and up to 100inches depending on the month and region, and rains almost daily) (Gilmore) .What the
rainfall does is replenishing the used up waters from the reservoirs allowing the hydroelectric power
plant to produce energy in tremendous amounts. This allows hydroelectric power stations be free and to
have infinite source of energy and be able to produce electricity 24/7. Another benefit of hydroelectric
power stations is that it is carbon emission free and it can provide numerous people with electricity. As
for an example-the Hoover Dam in America is producing cheap and dependable energy for 77years. The
Hoover Dam has 17generating units (turbines) that could produce up till 2,074megawatts enough to
provide millions of people in south west north America (Kuckro). Unlike fossil fuels and biomass,
hydroelectric power stations create clean electricity which doesn’t create any waste byproducts that
could potentially be harmful to the environment. Columbia needs a hydroelectric power station like this
Hyeong Chan Seo
Science Grade 9B
Page 1
Hydroelectric Power for Columbia
to decrease the use of fossil fuels to reduce carbon emissions to stop climate change and other
problems caused by the enhanced greenhouse effect.
However there are limits to a hydroelectric power plant. One problem is the large amount of
land it takes up to build a hydroelectric dam. Once in Brazil they had built a large hydroelectric power
station ‘Balbina’ however due to the power station 2,360km2 of land was flooded (Union of Concerned
Scientists). Hydroelectric power stations also bring impact to wildlife. Due to the dam it will harm the
aquatic ecosystem because it will block the pathway of fishes, and fishes will die if in contact with the
spinning blades of the turbine. The reservoir water normally contains more nutrients than normal river
water, this will allow weeds to grow and disrupt other river animals and plants. Lastly reservoir water is
low on dissolved liquid and colder than the downstream river water, and when the water is released it
could harm the plants and animals living down below because of the sudden temperature change and
oxygen change. (Union of Concerned Scientists)
Since Columbia relies heavily on agriculture if Columbia doesn’t utilize hydroelectric energy it
will have a great impact in their economy. Already there has been a decrease of high quality coffee
exports and decline of agricultural production because of the climate change caused by the enhanced
greenhouse effect. In 2006 Columbia produced about 12million 132-pound bags of coffee however in
2012 Columbia is only producing 7.7million bags of coffee (Ross). This is due to the fact that the average
temperature in Columbia has risen by 1° between 1980 and 2010, and the average precipitation rising
by 25% in the last few years. Because of the changes in these factors it is disrupting the specific
requirements to agitate Coffee Arabica bean. Also since 2010 many coffee farms, roads, and bridges has
been destroyed due to rain and flood making it hard/impossible for coffee farmers to export high quality
coffee to the market. This is a big problem because not only the country depends on agriculture for their
economy, livelihood of 570,000 coffee farm families depend on agriculture as well to live (Sinitsa). So if
the climate change problem is not solved, it could possibly bring devastating impacts to the citizens and
the country.
In conclusion, Columbia should utilize hydroelectric energy because of the great things Columbia
could benefit. These benefits includes the improving of agricultural products of Columbia, the decrease
of flooding and disasters, and etc. Although hydroelectric energy has limitations and problems when
compared with the benefits, the benefits of hydroelectric energy is more impactful to the country. With
a hydroelectric power plant Columbia could decrease their dependence on fossil fuels decreasing carbon
emissions and flooding as well.
Bibliography
Bonsor, Kevin. How Hydropower Plants Work. 06 Sep 2001. 13 Dec 2014
<http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/energy/hydropower-plant1.htm>.
Hyeong Chan Seo
Science Grade 9B
Page 2
Hydroelectric Power for Columbia
Damaschke, Nate. Alternative Energy. n.d. 13 Dec 2014
<http://www.tc.umn.edu/~dama0023/hydroelectric.html>.
Gilmore, Robert Lois. Columiba. 24 Nov 2014. 13 Dec 2014
<http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/126016/Colombia/25348/Climate>.
Kuckro, Rod. Reeding Lake Mead poses challenges to Hoover Dam's power output. 30 June 2014. 13 Dec
2014 <http://www.eenews.net/stories/1060002129>.
Ross, Martin. How Columbia tackles climate change. 17 Sep 2012. 14 Dec 2014
<http://dapa.ciat.cgiar.org/david-v-goliath-how-colombia-tackles-climate-change/>.
Sinitsa, Natalya. Coffee crisis in full swing in Columbia. 4 Mar 2013. 4 Dec 2014
<http://english.pravda.ru/business/companies/04-03-2013/123952-coffee_colombia-0/>.
Union of Concerned Scientists. Environmental Impacts of Hydroeletric Power . . 14 Dec 2014
<http://www.ucsusa.org/clean_energy/our-energy-choices/renewable-energy/environmentalimpacts-hydroelectric-power.html#.VI4jDSuUdy4>.
Hyeong Chan Seo
Science Grade 9B
Page 3