Big Dams Have Big Drawbacks
While cleaner than fossil fuels, large-scale hydropower dams come with steep social and environmental costs of their own.
Browsing Tag
Hydropower
7 posts
How Hydroelectric Power Kills Insects, and Why That Matters
A common practice called hydropeaking undermines river ecosystems, a new study argues. By Nathan Collins Glen Canyon Dam…
A River Runs It
In these electronic gadget-saturated times it’s hard to imagine that a century ago, electricity was scarce, and expensive,…
Resurrecting the Dead Sea
An extraordinary plan to revive the Dead Sea could ease tensions among Israel, Palestine and Jordan. Or it could create an environmental disaster.
Big Hydro Is Dead! Long Live Big Hydro!
Build new, low-impact hydropower facilities but keep the old: Large dams already in existence can be improved.
Reducing Big Problem With Little Hydro Plants
Hydropower will never be the complete answer to emissions-free energy production in the U.S., but a strong case can be made for it becoming a useful part of the answer.
Hydro Doesn’t Have to Be Big
Looking at the untapped potential for hydropower to supply the U.S. with carbon-free electricity, Lea-Rachel Kosnik finds ample opportunities for expanding hydro.