Lecture notes
12.2 the management of energy supply
- Module
- Environmental Management
- Institution
- OCR
notes on unit 12.2 for environmental management
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Environmental Management12.2 the management of energy supply
THREE GORGES DAM
Introduction
- The three gorges dam originally began construction in 1992, on a chokepoint of
the River Yangtze.
- The proposed 2.3km long by 185m tall, concrete hydroelectric dam is to cross the
river around 400km west of the city of Wuhan
- The damn will create a huge reservoir behind it 660km long stretching within the
three gorges behind it and allow for the regulation of water west of the dam
- The three gorges project was finally finished in 2012, 4 years after its expected
deadline
History
- Damming the Yangtze River was first proposed in 1919 by the founder of the
Republic of China in order to protect the river communities from the erratic
flooding caused by the river that caused a huge amount of destruction and death;
however the poor economic state of the country at the time delayed the process.
- A later communist leader Mao Zedong, in office from 1945-1976, was known to be
the most prominent supporter of the project, although it was not until 1993 when
the river was diverted and 1994 when construction began.
- Over the last 50 years, the economy of china has increased vastly in strength.
Since 1952, the GDP has increased by around 280 times mainly due to the market-
based reforms since 1978, which include the privatization of farming and entrance
to the World Trade Organization.
- With an increasing economic strength, the Chinese Communist government can
afford huge public works such as the Three Gorges dam, which they believe will
benefit the economy further in the future.
The River Yangtze
- The River Yangtze is the world’s third largest river which flows for a total of
6,211km from the Tibet in the West through China and ends in the East where it
branches of as a delta into The Pacific Ocean.
- It has a drainage area that is 1.8 million square kilometres, which is around 18% of
Chinese Territory.
- Whilst transporting fertile silt the river often floods and causes much devastation
due to flooding due to an influx in rain.
- Before the dam was built, the river was relied on heavily for fishing, transport and
sustaining fertility of farmland among many other things.
- The river is said to support 230 million Chinese citizens and affect one in ten
people on Earth in some way or another.
What Are the Effects of the Three Gorges Dam?
The construction of The Three Gorges Dam has sparked up some serious debate about
the social and environmental costs of the project. Most of the issues have two sides to
them; some benefiting different aspects and that do not.
Economic
, Power and electricity - In 1995 73.2% China’s energy consumption was Coal.
- The hydroelectric power generators of The Three Gorges
Dam are thought to be able to generate up to an
estimated 18,000 megawatts per year allowing China to
reduce its dependency on coal.
- Not only will this cut CO2 emissions (see Greenhouse Gas
Emissions) but this will mean China will no longer have to
rely as much on foreign imports of coal.
- This reduction in foreign imports for coal will reap huge
benefits for the Chinese government and economy in the
long term, despite the huge cost of the dam.
- The construction of the Three Gorges Dam will contribute
to the 2010 target of 840GW per year power capacity of
China which will help reduce and end the frequent
generator “burn outs” and rolling “black-outs” that are
experienced in China.
- The Generators began running at full capacity recently on
October 26th 2006.
Construction - It is said that The Three Gorges Dam will cost the Chinese
government over $28 billion (USD).
- This money will be spent on the, 26 turbo generators, 26
million tonnes of concrete, 250,000 tonnes of steel, and a
workforce over 40,000 strong, all required to construct the
dam over the period many years.
- There is some debate on whether the workers will have
good working conditions, although many workers are
happy that the work is being brought to the area.
Jobs - The construction requiring 40,000 labourers will provide a
large amount of work in the area whilst the movement,
relocation and reconstruction of town and historic sites
that would be effected by the Three Gorgers Reservoir will
also create jobs for a period of time during and after the
construction of the dam allowing the area to prosper
economically in the future.
- On the down side many factories are being forced to close
due to the prospect of them being flooded by the rising
waters of the Three Gorges Reservoir.
- It is intended that those that loose their job to the
reservoir are to receive compensation.
- Those working on the dams’ construction will eventually
loose their livelihoods when the project is completed whilst
it is likely that they will find jobs in the on-going relocation
and improvements in the area that will continue for many
more years after the dam is completed.
- As the towns and cities increase in terms of economic
activity due to the modern design of the new towns and
cities new opportunity and economic expansion is due for
the future of China.
Trading system - The dam has improved the Chinese inland shipping
system. Areas of the valley that were once out of reach for
ships are now becoming major ports of trade.
Social
Regulation of water - The two main rives of China often flood due to the vast,
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