It turns out that hydroelectric power is not so green as it might seem. The destruction and fragmentation of habitat is fairly obvious, but it seems that hydro dams are creators of methane, a gas whose greenhouse effect is 21 times more significant than carbon dioxide. The gas is created by the decay of plant matter under water. This is not just a problem when the dam is first flooded, but each year as the water levels rise and fall new plants grow and die.
Read the full article from New Scientist:
Hydroelectric power's dirty secret revealed
Thursday, February 24, 2005
So you think hydroelectric is green fuel?
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