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mcgarrdan98

Geothermal energy environmental impact | Earth's Heat - 0 views

  • First of all, harnessing geothermal energy does not have the devastating impact on climate change like burning of the fossil fuels does. It is true that fluids drawn from the earth's core include greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane, but the amount of released greenhouse gas emissions is negligible compared to those from fossil fuel fired power plants.
  • One of the reasons for this is the fact that geothermal power plants are equipped with emission-control systems that reduce the exhaust.
  • geothermal power plants are connected with minimal freshwater and land requirements. This means that geothermal energy commonly has minimal impact on nearby ecosystems.
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  • Geothermal fluids contain elevated levels of certain toxic elements such as arsenic, mercury, lithium and boron, which means that geothermal plants need to be equipped with proper waste disposal units in order to ensure that the waste is disposed back into geothermal fields
    • dpurdy
       
      pollution from geothermal
  • constructing geothermal plant (which includes deep drilling) can affect land stability, and in some cases even trigger earthquakes (especially enhanced geothermal systems).
  • Geothermal power plants operate quietly meaning that they do not cause noise pollution.
  • It is often relatively easy to incorporate them into the existing environment without the obvious visual pollution because of their modest land requirements.
  • This natural source of energy provides efficient way to harness energy from with minimal impact on its surrounding environment.
butlerlex99

Solar Homes and Solar Collectors - 0 views

  •    Solar energy is our birthright like the air we breathe or the water we drink. Solar Home Plans and  cost effective   Solar Hot Water Projects  are the gateway into a "Solar Age"  of energy independence. Fossil fuels are no longer necessary to keep the wheels of civilization turning. Build your own solar heating system.  Explore the Strawberry Fields Book Store  for more information. Alternative energies like solar energy will increase in value as fossil fuel prices escalate making energy efficient,  solar houses more valuable. Solar collectors, solar hot water systems, heat storage vaults, photovoltaic electricity, solar panels, and solar greenhouses will soon become the standard rather than the exception to the standard in the near future According to Buckminster Fuller "We have wondered too far from the roots." An energy crisis can only be avoided only if we learn to rely on a diffuse, sustainable resource like the sun. Become part of this green economy and travel on the  Green Train and learn about Solar Rebate Incentives and Cheap Electricity                                                                             
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    solar energy
conboyeri98

fuel cell - Google Search - 0 views

shared by conboyeri98 on 12 Mar 13 - No Cached
mcgarrdan98

Geothermal Energy: Construction Impacts - 0 views

  • Emissions generated during the construction phase include exhaust from vehicular traffic and construction equipment, fugitive dust from traffic on paved and unpaved roads, and the release of geothermal fluid vapors (especially hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide, mercury, arsenic, and boron, if present in the reservoir). Activities such as site clearing and grading, power plant and pipeline system construction, and transmission line construction would have more intense exhaust-related emissions over a period of 2 to 10 years. Impacts would depend upon the amount, duration, location, and characteristics of the emissions and the meteorological conditions (e.g., wind speed and direction, precipitation, and relative humidity).
  • Most impacts to ecological resources (vegetation, wildlife, aquatic biota, special status species, and their habitats) would be low to moderate and localized during the construction phase (although impacts due to noise could be high). Activities such as site clearing and grading, road construction, power plant construction, ancillary facility construction, and vehicle traffic have the potential to affect ecological resources by disturbing habitat, increasing erosion and runoff, and creating noise at the project site. Impacts to vegetation include loss of native species and species diversity; increased risk of invasive species; increased risk of topsoil erosion and seed bank depletion; increased risk of fire; and alteration of water and seed dispersal.
  • Solid and industrial waste would be generated during construction activities. Much of the solid waste would be nonhazardous, consisting of containers and packaging materials, miscellaneous wastes from equipment assembly and presence of construction crews (food wrappers and scraps), and woody vegetation. Industrial wastes would include minor amounts of paints, coatings, and spent solvents. Most of these materials would likely be transported off-site for disposal.
jack wells

Environmental impact of wind power - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - 0 views

  • Compared to the environmental impact of traditional energy sources, the environmental impact of wind power is relatively minor, slightly higher than the environmental impact of hydro power on a life-cycle basis. Unlike electricity derived from fossil fuel-powered generating plants, wind power consumes no fuel and emits no air pollution in operation. As well, wind power consumes no fuel in operation, unlike nuclear power plants which do.
lefebvrekat99

Biodiesel as a Transportation Fuel - 0 views

  • Biodiesel is an alternative fuel produced from renewable resources, such as soybeans or used restaurant grease. Biodiesel contains no petroleum, but it can be blended with petroleum diesel to create a biodiesel blend. It can be used in diesel engines with no major modifications. Biodiesel is simple to use, biodegradable, nontoxic, and essentially free of sulfur and aromatics.
dpurdy

NRDC: American Wind Farms - 2 views

  • Today, wind farms generate about 50,000 megawatts of clean, renewable energy -- the equivalent of the energy produced by 12 Hoover Dams.
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    "Today, wind farms generate about 50,000 megawatts of clean, renewable energy -- the equivalent of the energy produced by 12"
jack wells

Yale Environment 360: Wind Energy Now Cheaper Than Fossil Fuel Power Plants in Australia - 0 views

  • Unsubsidized wind power is now cheaper than electricity produced from new coal- and natural gas-fired power stations in Australia, according to an analysis by Bloomberg New Energy Finance. The study said that electricity can be supplied from a new wind farm at a cost of 80 Australian dollars per megawatt hour, compared to 143 Australian dollars from a new coal plant and 116 Australian dollars from a new natural gas plant.
maillecat98

Wave power - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - 0 views

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    "Wave energy is the transport of energy by ocean surface waves, and the capture of that energy to do useful work - for example, electricity generation, water desalination, or the pumping of water (into reservoirs). Machinery able to exploit wave power is generally known as a wave energy converter (WEC)."
hardingmar00

Geothermal energy in the United States - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - 0 views

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    "eothermal energy in the United States continues to be an area of considerable activity. In 2012, the United States led the world in geothermal electricity production with 3,386 megawatts (MW) of installed capacity;[1][2] the largest group of geothermal power plants in the world is located at The Geysers, a geothermal field in California.[3] The United States generates an average of 15 billion kilowatt hours of geothermal power per year, comparable to burning some 25 million barrels (4,000,000 m3) of oil or 6 million short tons of coal per year.[4] Geothermal power plants are largely concentrated in the western states. They are the fourth largest source of renewable electricity, after hydroelectricity, biomass, and wind power. A geothermal resource assessment shows that nine western states together have the potential to provide over 20 percent of national electricity needs.[4][5]"
carusonepay99

Wind energy FAQ | EWEA - 0 views

  • Each year we release millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide by burning fossil fuels (oil, coal and gas). In 2010, on average, every single EU citizen emitted 9.4 tonnes of CO2 – that’s enough to fill ten three-storey buildings. For every kWh of wind energy that you use, you will save approximately 696g of CO2. EWEA estimates that wind energy avoided the emission of 140 million tonnes of CO2 in 2011 in the EU, equivalent to taking 33% of cars in the EU – 71 million vehicles – off the road. This avoided CO2 costs of around €3.5 billion (assuming a price of €25/t CO2). Choosing how your electricity is produced plays an important role in protecting the climate: it’s easy to switch to a green power provider; you request the change and your current and future providers will organise it themselves.
hayespay99

How long have people been using solar energy - 1 views

  • It depends what you mean by "solar energy." Humans have always used solar energy in some sense: to warm themselves, to grow food, etc. However, I'm assuming that's not really what you mean (although it is important to realize that all energy on earth, with the exception of nuclear fission and geothermal, is ultimately driven by the sun's energy -- even fossil fuels, which after all were plants that grew with sunlight millions of years ago). Solar power has been used directly in various forms for over 100 years.
labrumbra99

Sierra Club Green Home » Blog Archive Fuel Cells: Environmental Benefits » Si... - 0 views

  • The use of fuel cells can significantly diminish our dependency on foreign oil. Since fuel cells make energy electrochemically and do not burn fuel like conventional combustion systems, they are much more efficient. Admittedly, some fuel cells need fossil fuels to start their functions; most residential systems run partially off of natural gas. If just 20% of the cars in America used fuel cells, we could cut oil imports by 1.5 million barrels per day. This is $44 billion per year that could remain in the country!
  • The use of fuel cells can significantly diminish our dependency on foreign oil. Since fuel cells make energy electrochemically and do not burn fuel like conventional combustion systems, they are much more efficient. Admittedly, some fuel cells need fossil fuels to start their functions; most residential systems run partially off of natural gas. If just 20% of the cars in America used fuel cells, we could cut oil imports by 1.5 million barrels per day. This is $44 billion per year that could remain in the country!
  • The use of fuel cells can significantly diminish our dependency on foreign oil. Since fuel cells make energy electrochemically and do not burn fuel like conventional combustion systems, they are much more efficient. Admittedly, some fuel cells need fossil fuels to start their functions; most residential systems run partially off of natural gas. If just 20% of the cars in America used fuel cells, we could cut oil imports by 1.5 million barrels per day. This is $44 billion per year that could remain in the country!
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  • fuel cells
  • metimes produce a by-product of water or heat, though hydrogen fuel cells are considered more difficult to work with because of transportation and storage. More user friendly fuel cells which use natural gas with emissions that are much lower than those produced by conventional engines or energy sources and can reduce your carbon footprint by around 40%. Additionally, there are only negligible levels of NOx, SOx, Volatile organic compounds and particulates, which is a drastic improvement over traditional means of grid power production. Besides the decreased CO2 emissions and high efficiency rates, fuel c
  • The use of fuel cells can significantly diminish our dependency on foreign oil. Since fuel cells make energy electrochemically and do not burn fuel like conventional combustion systems, they are much more efficient. Admittedly, some fuel cells need fossil fuels to start their functions; most residential systems run partially off of natural gas. If just 20% of the cars in America used fuel cells, we could cut oil imports by 1.5 million barrels per day. This is $44 billion per year that could remain in the country!
  • The use of fuel cells can significantly diminish our dependency on foreign oil. Since fuel cells make energy electrochemically and do not burn fuel like conventional combustion systems, they are much more efficient. Admittedly, some fuel cells need fossil fuels to start their functions; most residential systems run partially off of natural gas. If just 20% of the cars in America used fuel cells, we could cut oil imports by 1.5 million barrels per day. This is $44 billion per year that could remain in the country!
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    " The environmental impact of fuel cells depends on the type of cell and the fuel being used. Fuel cells can run on a variety of sources, from natural gas to hydrogen to ethanol to biogas. Those that run on hydrogen can sometimes produce a by-product of water or heat, though hydrogen fuel cells are considered more difficult to work with because of transportation and storage. More user friendly fuel cells which use natural gas with emissions that are much lower than those produced by conventional engines or energy sources and can reduce your carbon footprint by around 40%. Additionally, there are only negligible levels of NOx, SOx, Volatile organic compounds and particulates, which is a drastic improvement over traditional means of grid power production. Besides the decreased CO2 emissions and high efficiency rates, fuel cells offer plenty of positive environmental impacts that should be considered by investors and consumers as solutions for cleaner energy are being further researched. 1. Fuel Conservation The use of fuel cells can significantly diminish our dependency on foreign oil. Since fuel cells make energy electrochemically and do not burn fuel like conventional combustion systems, they are much more efficient. Admittedly, some fuel cells need fossil fuels to start their functions; most residential systems run partially off of natural gas. If just 20% of the cars in America used fuel cells, we could cut oil imports by 1.5 million barrels per day. This is $44 billion per year that could remain in the country! 2. Combined Heat and Power The greatest benefit from high powered, well designed fuel cells is the heat and power produced. This means that a property can reduce additional investments to heat their indoor areas or water. In this case, less is more. Since the heat can be redirected to heat water, the environmental benefit from this is the ability to heat the hot water supply without a need for a separate system as is the case with home solar."
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