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** H2O Hydro ** ** Going green ? No way! Go BLUE. **=====

Help Upper Merion become a better place by being eco-friendly.
__** Board of Directors **__  President- Carter Buce Vice President- Madeline Rushlau Marketing Advisor/Researcher- Alexander Ehrlich Editor- Takara Richard Graphic Designer- Jennifer Merritt

**H2O Hydro- What is it? ** H2O Hydro is a company that supports promotion of hydroelectric energy. We believe that saving the earth is an important goal for us and everyone to do. We build dams to harness the power of water.

**Hydroelectricity ** Hydroelectricity is electricity that comes from the energy of moving water. We get this electricity when the water goes through a penstock, which is a tube (see diagram below). It directs water at curved blades that makes a turbine move. The turbine is attached to a shaft, and the shaft is attached to a generator. The water moves the shaft, and the shaft turns a rotor. The rotor is made up of copper wires that are made into separate coils. The rotor moves inside a circular stator. The stator is made of strong magnets. Every time one of the copper coils passed a magnet the magnet would make electrons flow inside the coil, thus electricity is conducted.

**Past Experiences With Hydroelectricity ** Hydro energy has been used for thousands of years for things such as grinding grains. Greeks also used it more than 2,000 years ago. Hydroelectricity was first used to generate electrical power in 1880 in Michigan. The first hydroelectric plant opened in Appleton, Wisconsin on September 30, 1882.

**Hydroelectricity in the Present ** In 1920, hydroelectricity contributed 25% of the United States' electrical supply. Then in 1937, the first federal dam began to operate on the Columbia River. This dam is called the Bonneville Dam. Later on, that 25% became 40% of the United States' electrical supply. In 2003, hydropower use dropped to 10% of the United States' electricity. New power buoys would capture and convert wave energy, or movement of water into mechanical force, also known as electricity.­

** How is the Future Looking? ** As we said before, there are new power buoys that can capture and convert wave energy, or movement of water, into mechanical force. This way, the ocean's tides can be used as well as lakes. We could also use lagoons. Some lagoons in Britain generate 1/4 of Britain's electricity and would take only 25 lagoons. People also suspect that we will have two to three times as much water in the future because of global warming. Hydroelectricity is predicted to be used as at least 16% of the world's power in the future.* We could also start using micro-hydro systems that can supply one small area or even just a house. This could greatly increase the amount of electricity we get from water, and the micro-hydro system could really help with all those electricity bills.

**Pros and Cons of Hydroelectricity **  As you know, every renewable resource has disadvantages and advantages. Hydroelectric power has some disadvantages that are really bad, but they are not going to stop us from turning those disadvantages into advantages.

One advantage of this resource is that it does not cause pollution or global warming because we don't use harsh chemicals, coal, or oil in them. This way, we still have energy, yet no pollution.

On the down side, hydropower kills fish and other aquatic life because the animals are unable to move up and down the river. We are in the process of making fish ladders, which let the fish "swim" over the dam.

Hydroelectricity is a cheap source of energy. Once the dam is finished, it will not require much more maintenance. We would only have to clean it every so often, which would cost some money. However, we would gain that money back by using the dam to produce electricity.

Dams can also work on a very large or small scale. This means that it can take in a lot of water and make it into a lot of electricity or take in a little bit of water and make little electricity.

But it is not both thumbs up for hydropower. Hydroelectric dams can destroy large, natural areas and human settlements. But not to worry, we are working on that right now as you are reading this! We are trying to make dams ONLY operate at places that have few human or animal settlements. There is also another problem that goes with this disadvantage. It's that there aren't too many places that are suitable for large scale dams. To solve that, people can install micro-hydro systems near the property that they own. * See "How's the Future Looking?" for more info*.

Dams can also supply to demand. That means if you need electricity, you do not have to wait for it to be sunny or windy, it is right there when you need it.

**5 Reasons Why Upper Merion Needs Hydropower ** These are just a few of the ideas why Upper Merion needs hydropower. We, as a company, hope that you realize hydropower is the way to go!
 * Hydropower is a very cheap way to go. It may cost more money to establish at first, but in the long run it is very cost effective.
 * It is more powerful than wind and solar power.
 * We have many bodies of water near Pennsylvania, and we are located near the ocean; the dam doesn't have to be "right next door" to the town.
 * Hydroelectric power doesn't release any gasses, so we are not pushing the world further into pollution.
 * It doesn't take a long time to make hydropower into electricity so you can get the electricity almost instantly.



Give credit to our websites: http://www.tva.gov/power/images/hydro.gif__http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/sources/renewable/water.html__