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Energy Systems - Renewable

This page Energy from: Conservation | Water | Solar | Wind | Geothermal | Biomass |Biofuels | Hydrogen | Synthetics | Urban Waste
Actual and Potential Environmental Impacts on Alternative Energy Systems
Click on the Energy Heading for cross reference with Pros and Cons of each energy system - just click on the back button to return to this page.
This page is also available in pdf format - click here to download 2 pages (158Kb)

Energy System Air Pollution Water Pollution Land Disruption Possible Large Scale Disasters
Conservation Decreased Decreased Decreased None
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Water power
(hydroelectricity)
Negligible Disruption of aquatic ecosystems Flooding in areas to form lake(s), ecosystem disruption, loss of wildlife and human habitat, disruption of estuary into which river flows. Dam breaks
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Tidal Energy Negligible Estuary disruption Very little None
Ocean Thermal Gradients Local climate change Ocean ecosystem disruption, marine life disruption Estuary disruption None
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Solar Energy
Low Temperature heating (homes & water) Negligible Negligible Negligible None
High temperature heating & production of electricity Negligible except for moderate amount from materials (cement, steel, glass) needed to make collectors Negligible Requires land for large farms of solar collectors, disruption of desert ecosystems Depletion of water resources in arid regions
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Wind Energy
Home & neighbourhood turbines Negligible except for some noise and aesthetic degradation Negligible Negligible None
Large scale power plants possible local or regional climate changes Negligible Negligible None
Geothermal Energy Hydrogen sulphide and ammonia, global climate change from carbon dioxide, radioactive materials, noise, local climate change, odour Dissolved solids (salinity), runoff, excess heat Subsidence Depletion and contamination of water resources in arid regions
Biomass
Burning of wood, crop, food and animal wastes Particulates and hydrocarbons, global climate change from carbon dioxide Runoff of fertisers and pesticides, sediment from erosion Large use of land, soil erosion, loss of habitat for wildlife None
Derived Fuels
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Biofuels
  • Alcohols and Natural gas from plants and organic wastes
Global climate change from carbon dioxide Runoff of fertilisers and pesticides, sediment from soil erosion Large use of land, soil erosion, soil salinity and waterlogging from irrigation, ecosystem simplification, loss of wildlife habitats None
Hydrogen Gas
from coal or water Depends on source of electricity or heat in the process None None Pipeline or cylinder explosions
Synthetic
Natural Gas - SNG from Coal Similar to coal but less pollutant Same as coal plus increased pollution from heavy metals, phenols, hydrocarbons Same as coal Same as coal, earthquakes from blasts for underground coal gasification, pipeline explosions
Oil and alcohols from coal and organic waste Similar to coal but less pollutant Same as coal except increased pollution from heavy metals, phenols, hydrocarbons Same as coal Same as coal, pipeline spills
Urban Wastes
for incineration Sulphur oxides, particulates (heavy metals), nitrogen oxides, hydrogen chloride, hydrocarbons, hydrogen sulphide, global climate change from carbon dioxide, odour Leaching of dissolved solids and heavy metals from ash Decreases solid waste disposal Fire or explosion in incinerator
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Please Note

Particulates - solid particles or liquid droplets suspended in the air. These particles can form what is often called industrial smog comprising of sulphur dioxide that is a product of burning coal and oil for heat, manufacturing and electric power. Sulphur dioxide then reacts with oxygen in the air to become sulphur trioxide. This can lead to what is termed acid rain when over several days water vapour reacts with the sulphur trioxide to form sulphuric acid.

The above table and information might not be as accurate for Australia as it should be with mining corporations and governments amending rules and regulations from time to time. The content has been based on data collated from various sources dating back as far as 1980 and will not necessarily reflect the thinking of every metalurgist, chemists, geologist or those concerned with climate change. No paper will please everyone and debate is good if based on facts and not solely on theories. We encourage dialogue and all suggestions that can improve on the information given. Improvements can be sent to info@energy.edu.au.

The base for many of the ideas used in this and other charts can be found in:
G. Tyler Miller Jr "Living in the Environment", Wadsworth Publishing Company, California 1979, p272 under the penship of Howard T Odum, Professor of Environmental Engineering Sciences at the University of Florida.

 
last update 19-Aug-2012
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