“DamNation” Examines the Legitimacy of Hydro-Electric Dams
The movie “DamNation” is screening tonight at a local church. Though I haven’t seen it, I know enough about it to summarize it as follows: Damming up our nation’s rivers has come at a vast environmental cost, and it’s time to consider tearing them down. I refrain from agreeing or disagreeing with propositions that I don’t fully understand, so I’ll be silent here, but I will tell you this: every watt-hour of dispatchable electricity that doesn’t come from hydro-electric dams has to come from somewhere else. There are going to be a whole bunch of anti-hydro people who leave that church tonight; I wonder how many of them advocate more nuclear plants, fracking, or coal mining.
What we really need is level-headed pragmatism, coupled with honest leadership that takes us on a rational, sure-footed path in the direction of energy efficiency and environmentally responsible renewables. Unfortunately, we’re no closer to that than we are to the moon.
“There are going to be a whole bunch of anti-hydro people who leave that church tonight; I wonder how many of them advocate more nuclear plants, fracking, or coal mining.”
Or the most efficient plan, just use much less energy to begin with. I wonder how many of them would be willing to cut their household energy usage in less than half the way I did. It takes planning, paying attention, investment in more energy efficient appliances and thought but it can be done without cutting into your lifestyle very much and what you do cut out you probably don’t really need in the first place.
I’m pretty certain this crowd is already heavy into conservation and efficiency. I went to see the movie at the church, and there were more Priuses in the parking lot than I could easily count. Having said that, I’m sure they (and I) could be doing more.
You’ve always been an inspiration to me, with your creative use of technology. I’m sure other readers feel the same way.