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Brazil is planning a major expansion of big dams in the Amazon Basin, a move opposed by many environmental groups
By Julia Pyper and ClimateWire
Charting a Course for Brazil's Rivers and Hydropower
Seeded on Fri Jan 20, 2012 5:35 PM EST
Article Source: Science News, Articles and Information | Scientific American- Enjoy this article? Help vote it up the 'Vine.
- Public Discussion (2)
Amazon to get 18 new dams
To sustain a growth rate of about 5 percent a year, Brazil needs to add 5,000 megawatts of installed capacity every year, according to Mauricio Tolmasquim, president of Brazil's Energy Research Co., the agency in charge of mapping the future of the energy sector.The expansion of Brazil's electricity supply over the next 10 years will prioritize renewable energy and especially hydropower, said Tolmasquim in an interview with ClimateWire.
- 1 vote
#1 - Fri Jan 20, 2012 5:36 PM ESTBut Brazil pledges to bring electricity to poor communities and a growing middle class, as do other countries. The issue will be part of the focus of this summer's U.N. Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro. Many in Brazil view the expansion of hydropower in the Amazon as a sustainable way to increase energy access.
And distributed solar and wind would do this too. And it wouldn't do it by effecting the flow of the rivers with their sediment and other biological functions. How much sediment will this remove from the mouth of the Amazon? What is the impact of this change on the marine environment and food production in this environment?
I am not totally opposed to hydro. I just hope they are looking at all the consequences and not cutting their nose off to spite their face in other areas.
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