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ARE THE DAMS WORTH WHAT WE ARE LOSING?- BY SARA C
Everyone knows about how the Amazon Rainforest, as we know it is being destroyed. However, most people tend to overlook that a major factor in this destruction is the continual building of hydroelectric dams. Not only are they affecting the rainforest, but all of the animals and people who have suffered terribly due to this as well. The dam construction has already cost us 5439 square kilometers and flooded over three and a half million hectares. It is obvious that these dams do not carry out sustainable development, which is crucial with the Rainforests. These dams have become a main cause of the deforestation, both indirect and direct. The amount of energy they produce isn’t worth destroying our rainforests that currently face enough problems with deforestation already. Not only has the forest suffered, but people have also. These people had no choice in whether or not they kept their home land. All residents around the dams and throughout Brazil have had to become a part of the corruption caused by these dams. Most of these dams have resulted in abuse of human rights. The people living in these areas were not consulted until the very final stages of building the dams were in development. The people of Brazil haven’t been treated fairly when it comes to the construction of these dams. One million people have been forced out of their homes and had to evacuate because of the dams. Also, the dams aren’t as efficient as promised. Even with them, twenty million people still don’t have electricity. Sixty percent are people living in rural areas. This just shows how inadequate these dams really are. The Altamira Dam is just one of these examples. It has directly affected at least seven indigenous groups that live around the Xingu River. The Lageado Dam has also caused innocent people great hunger, diseases and even driven some people to prostitution and alcoholism. All this for dams that usually don’t even fulfill their initial purpose. Many people have already lost their cultural roots after being forced to leave their land and homes. There are currently seven dams in progress that are threatening up to thirty-four Indian areas around Brazil. It’s not surprising that many of the people involved with the building of these dams live far from the area being used. The people of Brazil are starting to realize the injustice of what has been happening to them. Not only them, but around the world people are becoming aware of the situation we are facing. Without their consent, the homes, their land, and their forests are being destroyed, all for something that doesn’t even fulfill the original promise. These dams have been proven to take longer to build than what was said. Also, they don’t do justice to what was originally proposed. On March 14th, 2001, over 1500 people came from all over Brazil to protest against the dams and all of their negative affects. Not only have protests developed in Brazil but also in thirty other countries around the world. The animals of the Rainforest are losing their homes. The building of dams has already caused hundreds of thousands of animals their lives. The Brazilian government hasn’t attempted to do much for these animals. For some groups of people living on the coast, a certain type of fish was their main food. Now, due to the dams, these fish have disappeared. If the dams continue as they are, some species are doomed to become extinct. The largest hydroelectric complex in the entire world is placed between Brazil and Paraguay on the Parana River. This shows how out of hand these things have become. There have been many studies that have proven these dams have not achieved their promised intent. Building dams has actually caused the accessibility and the quality of the water to go down instead of up. Also, these dams tend to cost more than what was originally proposed. The hydropower that they produce has been proven to be environmentally and socially caustic. Hydroelectric dams produce some of the most harmful and worst greenhouse gas emissions. The organic material that has been washed downstream and becomes trapped in the dam causes most of the greenhouse gases being emitted. The stagnant water is the worst cause for the greenhouse gas emissions because it produces methane. Phillip Fearnside studied the Tucurui Dam in Brazil and discovered that it emitted 90,000 tones of methane already. Still, some engineers are saying hydroelectric dams should be considered clean under the Kyoto protocol. Ninety thousand tones of methane are not clean. Some of these dams are even producing more Greenhouse gases than some large coal fired power plants. Also, the problems with the dams don’t stop with the building of new ones. There are also a lot of old dams, around twenty years old that are using a substantial amount of the government’s money to have them rebuilt. This is money the government doesn’t have because of its great debt to many other countries already. These dams are only increasing financial concerns. There are many examples of problems that have already occurred. The Tocantist River has experienced many potential problems because of dams. The dams have destroyed a lot of native land in this area. The Serra Da Mesa flooded at least ten percent of the Ava-Canoeiro Indian Reservation and 1109 square miles of Savannah. The problems with these many dams are clear. However, what people are choosing to do about it is not. Before we can change what is happening to our forests, land, and animals, the people need to realize it. Since the government refuses to realize what a problem this really is, it should be confronted by an influential world organization. If people don’t change what has been happening, so much that we take for granted will soon be taken away. People have to make a difference and soon, before Brazil and the world pays the price. Bibliography: |
