Effects of Technology Answers

Oil drilling, transport, and use can lead to spills or runoff that carry oil and toxic chemicals into waterways. Oil can poison or coat aquatic organisms, damage fish gills and eggs, and interfere with light and oxygen exchange. This can harm populations and disrupt aquatic food webs, reducing the ability of the ecosystem to support life.

Some advantages to using hydrokinetic energy are that it can be used without mining materials, it is not associated with waste production, and that it does not contribute to air pollution. The main disadvantage to using hydrokinetic energy is the fact that it uses waves and tides as an energy source. This technology could not be used in all locations.

Hydroelectric energy uses flowing or falling water to turn turbines, whereas coal is mined and burned to produce heat and electricity. Hydroelectricity is renewable and produces little direct air pollution, but dams can block fish movement, change river flow, and trap sediment. Coal is nonrenewable and burning it releases carbon dioxide and other air pollutants; mining and coal waste can also damage land and water.

Hydrokinetic energy uses waves, tides, or currents, so it is renewable and can produce electricity with little greenhouse gas emission during operation. It may also avoid some impacts of large dams and reservoirs. Disadvantages can include high installation and maintenance costs, limited suitable locations, variable energy output, and possible disruption to aquatic organisms, habitats, or navigation.

The use of oil has the potential to affect aquatic viability during several stages. Offshore drilling practices to acquire oil for energy use can negatively impact aquatic viability through potential contamination and disruption of aquatic habitats. Transportation of oil over the water has the potential to contaminate aquatic ecosystems through oil spills. Waste products associated with the use of oil for energy production can also cause contamination of aquatic habitats.

Biomass energy comes from crops that are grown expressly for that purpose. The growth of these crops helps decrease the rate of soil erosion and therefore sedimentation buildup in waterways and also decreases the runoff of fertilizers and pesticides into those waterways. The combustion of biomass, on the other hand, can decrease water quality involves the use of water to create steam. When this water is returned to the environment, it can contaminate waterways.

Hydroelectric energy uses the movement of water to spin a turbine and produce electricity. Coal is a fossil fuel that is burned as an energy source, which results in emissions such as carbon dioxide, nitrogen, and sulfur. Coal use is associated with waste products both from the mining process to acquire the coal and also from the actual use of coal itself. Hydroelectric energy does not involve waste, but does pose potential problems to waterways. Coal use is more common than the use of hydroelectric energy.

Solar and geothermal energy are both considered renewable energy sources. Nuclear energy, on the other hand, is a nonrenewable energy source. Nuclear, solar, and geothermal energy are all low sources of air pollution and do not emit carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Nuclear and geothermal energy both heat up water to produce electricity. Nuclear energy requires a mining step to obtain the raw material used to produce energy, while solar and geothermal energy do not require mining. Nuclear energy produces nuclear waste, while solar and geothermal energy do not produce a significant amount of waste.

Solar, geothermal, and nuclear energy produce relatively little greenhouse gas during operation compared with fossil fuels. Solar panels require land and materials to manufacture, and their production and disposal can create environmental impacts. Geothermal plants can disturb land, release gases or mineral-rich water, and sometimes cause subsidence or small earthquakes. Nuclear power has low operational carbon emissions, but uranium mining, radioactive waste, accident risks, and heated cooling-water discharges can affect the environment.

Biomass crops can improve water quality by taking up excess nutrients from soil and runoff, and using biomass instead of some fossil fuels can reduce pollution that eventually reaches waterways. However, growing and harvesting biomass may require fertilizers and pesticides that wash into water. Clearing or disturbing land can also increase erosion and sediment, and biomass processing or waste can release pollutants.