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Hydropower is, together
with wind power, the most non-polluting energy source here on earth. Thanks to the sun the
water follows its etarnal cycle in nature. The water energy will never end! The hydropower produces electricity cheaply. Internationally Sweden has low electricity prices thanks to hydropower. The water power plants do not let out waste gas or waste material. The electricity is produced at a low sound level. The hydropower can level a varying production from other energy sources thanks to the water reservoirs in the river systems.If, for example, the nuclear power should not function properly, It is still possible to maintain the energy production by means of the water reservoirs. But - construction of a big power plant is not only positive from environmental point of view. It will change the landscape drastically and vegetation as well as animal life can be damaged. Changed landscapeAreas upstream the power plant are put under water, while the river downstream is almost drained. This leads to relokated river banks and areas which maybe lie under water in spring and become drained in summer. In such areas it is impossible for plants to live, which can lead to vast naked areas. Construction of a hydro power plant is a large process which takes long time. Power plant, dam and switchgear must be built and communications, such as cables and roads, must be constructed. All this will give a drastically changed landscape. The change often leads to an environment with worse conditions for some animal species, but can sometimes also favour other species. The fish is affected The most affected animals is perhaps the fish, expecially salmon and sea trout, who because of the dam building no longer can migrate back to their former upstream spawn places Not only species depending on streaming water will disappear but also entire biological living-milieus. Many species can therefore no longer go on living, which leads to that species which are depending on those disappearing, also will be reduced coniderably. Man will loose nature experiences When building power plants the possibility will disappear for men to experience all what a bioligal living-milieu with streaming water can give in form of beauty and understanding of the nature. When the power plant is ready, there will be no more strains on the environment. There will be no more dumping and no more waste material. The water continues its natural circulation without being destroyed. What can we do with the problems? In order to prevent that salmon and sea trout disappears from the Swedish watercourses, the power industry pays every year for cultivation of 500 000 sea trouts and 2 million salmons. These make nowadays the basis of the salmon population in the Baltic Sea. About 75% of all catched salmons is cultivated. . They have also built so called "salmon ladders" with streaming water next to the power station. There the salmon can walk up to spawn. By building many small power plants instead of one big, there will be a smaller change in the existing watercourses. There are benefit rules in order to support the building of non-polluting smaller hydropower plants. It is decided that up to the year 2002 you can get benefits up to 15% of the investment if you build hydropower of the size 0.1-1.5 MW. The power industry has started a research cooperation with i.e. NUTEK and the National environment protection board. The project "Environmental adapted hydropower" engages researchers and experts around the country to investigate the environmental effect of hydropower and for further environmental adaption. They try to find solutions where the river itself will have the conditions to re-create a natural environment itself. |
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