A new WWF and Mamirauá Institute for Sustainable Development report, released Aug. 30, reveals that a new animal or plant species is discovered in the Amazon every two days, the fastest rate to be observed this century. The findings come as huge parts of the forest are increasingly under threat, sparking further concern over the […]
By Gary Wockner and Lydia Bleifuss Hydropower, falsely sold to the public as a source of “green” or “clean” energy, is expanding at an alarming rate in many of South America’s beautiful and ecologically pristine rivers. In line with a global trend, many South American governments—backed by multi-national hydropower corporations, international financiers and profit-motivated corruption—continue […]
Over the last two years, I’ve written four articles about the massive problem with methane emissions from hydropower dams and reservoirs. Finally, the mainstream media covered this story Thursday after an international team of scientists released a new study that synthesizes more than 100 scholarly articles on the topic. The Seattle Times headline read, “Hydropower […]
Buck Ryan, the Snake River Waterkeeper, put it this way, “Removing hydroelectric dams is progress—we no longer have to destroy rivers and kill endangered fish to keep the lights on.” As I paddled my kayak amidst the hundreds of people in the Free The Snake flotilla last weekend, I believe Ryan is on the right […]
Chilean environmentalists and global whitewater aficionados are celebrating the happy ending to the tumultuous 20-year battle to save Patagonia’s Futaleufu River. On Aug. 30, Endesa Chile, subsidiary of Enersis and part of Italian-controlled energy consortium Enel, formally relinquished all claims to Chile’s iconic whitewater mecca, and similar stakes in other Chilean rivers. Endesa sought to […]
By Patrick J. Lynch In the Patagonia region, climate change presents a direct threat to human health and the environment. More than 90 percent of Patagonia’s glaciers are receding, endangered marine species are shifting migration ranges as the ocean warms and in some rural communities the water table has dropped so far below historical levels […]
By Salvador Edgardo Zuniga Cáceres It has been four months since the murder of environmental and Indigenous rights activist Berta Cáceres and her killers have still not been brought to justice. Instead, the violence continues—on July 7, another activist from Berta Cáceres‘ organization was abducted and killed. Berta Cáceres in 2015.Goldman Environmental Prize / Tim […]
People have harnessed energy from moving water for thousands of years. Greeks used various types of water wheels to grind grain in mills more than 2,000 years ago. In the late 1800s, people figured out how to harness the power to produce electricity. Throughout the 20th century and into the 21st, hydropower has expanded, producing […]
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