Hydroelectricity for a brighter future The environment is a precious thing and we must protect and take care of it. The environment does not have its own voice; so we must speak on behalf of the environment. Over the past century, as technology has improved and people have desired more materialistic things, our environment has been tremendously damaged. I won't deny that I like having cars, electricity and other technologies that make my life easier, but I believe that there are other means of obtaining energy through different and more environmentally friendly methods. A great example of one of these methods is hydroelectric power. Hydroelectric power is a renewable energy source that relies on the natural water cycle, which includes evaporation, precipitation, and the flow of water due to gravity. Today we have a method to take this hydroelectric energy and turn it into electricity, hence the term hydroelectricity. Hydro means water and hydroelectric means creating electricity from water energy. When it rains, the water becomes streams that run down the sides of mountains and hills into the ocean. This falling water can be used to do work. Keep in mind that energy is the ability to do work. Therefore, falling water with kinetic energy is converted into electricity (Hydro Power 2005). Hydroelectricity is created in hydroelectric power plants through the use of dams, turbines, generators, and transmission lines. Hydroelectric power plants capture the energy of falling water and convert it into electricity. Dams are created to raise the water level of rivers to generate falling water and control the flow of water. This forms… half the paper… from which we will get our next fuel source and will be added to our wallets, not taken away. Works Cited Baird, Stuart. Hydroelectric energy. 1993. Ontario Energy Educators. April 18, 2005 .Do the benefits of massive hydropower projects outweigh the environmental costs of these projects? April 18, 2005. How hydroelectric energy works. December 13, 2000. Wisconsin Valley Improvement Company. April 18, 2005. Hydroelectric energy. 22 April 2002 History of energy. April 18, 2005. .Medina, Francelys. Hydroelectric energy: blocked? November 2001. Energy and modern society. April 18 2005>.