You are on page 1of 2

Legal, ethical, and environmental consequences

NOTES:

We need to be aware of a variety of legal, ethical, and environmental issues


related to the generation, conversion and transmission of energy.

This issue relates to individual homes as well as on a global scale. Some


examples are: disposing of batteries, global warming, inefficient incandescent
light bulbs.

Every kind of generation, conversion, and transmission has some legal,


ethical, and environmental issue related to it.

Even alternative energy sources can have negative environmental effects.


Wind farms in western Canada are affecting: wildlife (rare species of bats,
birds), humans (low frequency noise damage), and aesthetics. Ice buildup on
blades during winter months can fly off and cause property damage or injury.
Communities can be displaced and natural vegetation can be destroyed.

Hydroelectric reservoirs cause rotting vegetation which produces significant


amounts of green house gases. In some cases the destruction of sacred
native lands have caused disputes with native cultures (Three Gorges Dam,
China, James Bay Project, Quebec).

Geothermal energy can cause noise pollution, dissolved solids in steam


quickly erode pipes, natural steams contain many green house gases, not
easily transported

Student Activity (add to site):


Chose 1 of the following activities to complete:
1. Write a letter to the editor of a local newspaper from the perspective of a cabin
owner in Come By Chance who has to abandon his cabin and hunting areas due the
construction of a new oil refinery.
2. In Letter format to whom it concerns, Complete the following statement: I do not
agree with building hydro electric transmission lines through a national park area
because...
3. List some of the environmental, ethical and legal impacts of energy creation,
conversion, transmission and consumption.

1.
Dear editor,
I have some concerns related to the new oil refinery. I am a
resident of Come By Chance, and I also own a cabin out in the
country there. I and my wife absolutely love that cabin, it is our
second home. But, ever since the construction of the new oil
refinery has begun, we are no longer able to go out to the cabin.
All of the other cabins in the area are being affected as well, and
the company constructing this is not taking our thoughts or
feelings into consideration. They are destroying the beautiful land
and scenery of the country, they are destroying the new smooth
trails, and also the hundreds of feet of woods that my buddies and
I use to hunt our moose. Every year, during hunting season, it is a
tradition for all of the country men to get together and go out
hunting while our lovely wives gather at the nearest cabin to cook
up a great big feed for us all. Thanks to that new oil refinery, a
tradition is being broken. Also, I and my wife have a daughter and
a son that both love to cut down a beautiful, real Christmas tree
as a family during the season each year. Although, this Christmas
will be the first that we are not able to do this, which makes me
angry. If you have any unspoken feelings or relations to this,
please join me in trying to stop it. If you do not have any relations
to it, I would greatly appreciate it if you took my situation into
consideration to stop this.
Sincerely,
Ben Power

You might also like