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  • Essay / Hydropower as an alternative energy source to fossil fuels

    In this part, we will examine hydropower as an alternative energy source to fossil fuels in terms of Turkey's technology assessments for climate change. Turkey has rugged terrain and more than 25 river basins. (International Hydropower Association, 2014) This makes Turkey one of the largest potential producers of hydropower. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay According to the 2016 World Energy Council report, Turkey is the 15th country in terms of unused hydropower potential. (World Energy Council, 2016, World Energy Resources Hydropower) On the one hand, there is the fact that the hydropower potential is high, but on the other hand, there is also a high demand for energy. Among OECD member countries, Turkey has the highest growth rate in energy demand over the past 15 years. (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2016, Turkey Energy Profile and Strategy) Since Turkey does not have large reserves of fossil fuels, it must either import them or turn to renewable energy sources, e.g. hydroelectricity, without even considering the impacts on climate change. regardless of the importance of renewable energy sources such as hydropower, it is worth mentioning that Turkey's electricity generation still depends mainly on coal at 29.1% and natural gas at 37.9% , even if the rate of hydraulic energy is higher than the world average with 25.6%. (Turkish Statistical Institute, 2015, Electricity production and shares by energy resources). Turkey has 613 hydroelectric plants but also plans to increase the percentage of electricity coming from hydroelectric power with new plants. (Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, 2017, Electricity) To present an assessment of hydropower in Türkiye, one must first see its effects. Hydroelectric power plants reduce the consumption of fossil fuels and therefore also reduce CO2 emissions, but they have many impacts on nature and human life. In the case of Turkey, we will explain two possible effects using examples. First, the negative effect is the destruction of the ecosystem. For example, according to the report on “salmo coruhensis”, which is a migratory fish, due to hydroelectric power plants on the northeastern coast of Turkey, their living spaces are reduced with corrupted ponds. Since this fish is a migratory fish and comes from many parts of the world, its damage to the ecosystem can be considered global. (Ministry of Forestry and Water Management, Rize Directorate, 2013, Salmo coruhensis) The second possible impact is construction failure during or after the construction phase. If construction fails in terms of large dams, the damage may be irreversible to both ecosystems, but there may also be loss of life. For example, in 1975, China experienced a major disaster caused by a dam failure and nearly 26,000 people died. (Osnos, 2011, Faust, China and Nuclear Energy) In our opinion, although hydroelectric power plants have many impacts, the real question is whether they are worth building as a replacement for fossil fuels? only a sample.Get a custom paper from our expert writers now.Get a custom essayThe answer is still open for debate due to..