Shelly Ryn M.

Saligumba 11- Banzon

EARTH SCIENCE: QUARTER 1- MODULE 4:

ENERGY AND WATER RESOURCES

What I Have Learned

5. Debate with yourself. Are geothermal and hydroelectric energy good source of
energy? Why or why not?

Geothermal and hydroelectric energy are good sources of energy. Geothermal

energy is currently believed to be one of the most advantageous sources of energy. Not
only is it a renewable type of energy but is also present in most areas, outperforming
even some conventional sources in many aspects. Geothermal energy has many
advantages, especially when compared to conventional sources of energy:

1. Geothermal Energy Sourcing Is Good for the Environment

First and foremost, geothermal energy is extracted from the earth without burning fossil
fuels, and geothermal fields produce practically no emissions. What’s more, geothermal
energy can be very beneficial, as you can achieve savings of up to 80% over
conventional energy usage.

2. Geothermal Is a Reliable Source of Renewable Energy

Geothermal energy also has many advantages when compared to other renewable
sources like solar, wind or biomass. It is an exceptionally constant source of energy,
meaning that it is not dependent on neither wind nor sun, and available all year long.

When looking at the availability factor, which shows how reliable and constant specific
energy sources are, geothermal is ranking on the top (see the figure below), way above
the other groups, which supports the argument of its independence on inconstant
external circumstances when delivering energy.

3. High Efficiency of Geothermal Systems

Geothermal heat pump systems use 25% to 50% less electricity than conventional

systems for heating or cooling, and with their flexible design they can be adjusted to
different situations, requiring less space for hardware as opposed to conventional
systems.

4. Little to No Geothermal System Maintenance

Due to the fact that geothermal systems only have few movable parts which are
sheltered inside a building, the life span of geothermal heat pump systems is relatively
high. Heat pump pipes even have warranties of between 25 and 50 years, while the
pump can usually last for at least 20 years.

20% of the world’s electricity consumption in 2006 was generated with hydroelectricity
(generating electricity from hydropower), the most used renewable energy source in the
world. 

Advantages of Hydroelectric Energy

1. Renewable
Hydroelectric energy is renewable. This means that we cannot use up. However, there’s
only a limited number of suitable reservoirs where hydroelectric power plants can be
built and even less places where such projects are profitable.

2. Green

Generating electricity with hydro energy is not polluting itself. The only pollution occurs
during the construction of these massive power plants.

3. Reliable

Hydroelectricity is very reliable energy. There are very little fluctuations in terms of the
electric power that is being by the plants, unless a different output is desired. Countries
that have large resources of hydropower use hydroelectricity as a base load energy
source. As long as there is water in the magazines electricity can be generated.

4. Flexible

As previously mentioned, adjusting water flow and output of electricity is easy. At times
where power consumption is low, water flow is reduced and the magazine levels are
being conserved for times when the power consumption is high.

5. Safe

Compared to among others fossil fuels and nuclear energy, hydroelectricity is much
safer. There is no fuel involved (other than water that is).

There are also disadvantages in geothermal and hydroelectric energy such as

environmental concerns about greenhouse gases, high investment costs and limited
reservoirs for these energies.

What I Can Do

What Is the Kyoto Protocol?

The Kyoto Protocol is an international agreement that aimed to reduce carbon

dioxide (CO2) emissions and the presence of greenhouse gases (GHG) in the
atmosphere. The essential tenet of the Kyoto Protocol was that industrialized nations
needed to lessen the amount of their CO2 emissions. The Protocol was adopted in
Kyoto, Japan in 1997, when greenhouse gases were rapidly threatening our climate, life
on the earth, and the planet, itself. Today, the Kyoto Protocol lives on in other forms and
its issues are still being discussed.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

The Kyoto Protocol is an international agreement that called for industrialized nations to
reduce their greenhouse gas emissions significantly.

Other accords, like the Doha Amendment and the Paris Climate Agreement, have also
tried to curb the global-warming crisis.

Today, talks begun by the Kyoto Protocol continue and are extremely complicated,
involving politics, money, and lack of consensus.

The Kyoto Protocol Explained

Background

The Kyoto Protocol mandated that industrialized nations cut their greenhouse gas
emissions at a time when the threat of global warming was growing rapidly. The
Protocol was linked to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC). It was adopted in Kyoto, Japan on December 11, 1997, and became
international law on February 16, 2005.

Countries that ratified the Kyoto Protocol were assigned maximum carbon emission
levels for specific periods and participated in carbon credit trading. If a country emitted
more than its assigned limit, then it would be penalized by receiving a lower emissions
limit in the following period.

Major Tenets

Developed, industrialized countries made a promise under the Kyoto Protocol to reduce
their annual hydrocarbon emissions by an average of 5.2% by the year 2012. This
number would represent about 29% of the world's total greenhouse gas emissions.
Targets, though, depended on the individual country. This meant each nation had a
different target to meet by that year. Members of the European Union (EU) pledged to
cut emissions by 8% while the U.S. and Canada promised to reduce their emissions by
7% and 6% respectively by 2012.

Responsibilities of Developed versus Developing Nations

The Kyoto Protocol recognized that developed countries are principally responsible for
the current high levels of GHG emissions in the atmosphere as a result of more than
150 years of industrial activity. As such, the Protocol placed a heavier burden on
developed nations than less-developed nations. The Kyoto Protocol mandated that 37
industrialized nations plus the EU cut their GHG emissions. Developing nations were
asked to comply voluntarily, and more than 100 developing countries, including China
and India, were exempted from the Kyoto agreement altogether.

Additional Activities

What can you do to conserve and protect water resources?

Ways to Conserve and Protect Our Water Resources

 Dispose of chemicals properly.

 Take used motor oil to a recycling center.
 Limit the amount of fertilizer used on plants.
 Take short showers.
 Shut water off while brushing teeth.
 Run full loads of dishes and laundry.
 Check for leaky faucets and have them fixed.
 Abandon all wells that are not needed.
 Keep a pitcher of drinking water in the refrigerator.
 Get involved in water education.
 Avoid using pesticides or chemical fertilizers
 Never flush unwanted or out-of-date medicines down the toilet or the drain
 Spread the word and be a water advocate