Hydroelectric power causes global warming

tinfoil said:
Someone should tell maineman his "green" electricity is not that green after all
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Well, first you would have to show that hydroelectricity is more environmentally unfriendly than other forms of electricity production, such as burning fossil fuels, the predominant form of electricity production in the United States. My strong suspicion is that the methane that results from rotting vegetation and wild life pales in comparison to greenhouse gases produced from burning fossil fuels.
 
Dungheap said:
Well, first you would have to show that hydroelectricity is more environmentally unfriendly than other forms of electricity production, such as burning fossil fuels, the predominant form of electricity production in the United States. My strong suspicion is that the methane that results from rotting vegetation and wild life pales in comparison to greenhouse gases produced from burning fossil fuels.
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It would depend. We've gotten very efficient at it. Coal energy is almost emmissionless.
 
Dungheap said:
Where did you hear that one? Wherever you got that tidbit I would never use that source again. It's totally off base and just flat out wrong.
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Sorry, it was supposed to be tongue-in-cheek. Hard to hear subtle sarcasm if I don't add the little winkies.

We should be over to nuclear energy as much as possible. It is far cleaner than fossil energy.
 
Damocles said:
Sorry, it was supposed to be tongue-in-cheek. Hard to hear subtle sarcasm if I don't add the little winkies.

We should be over to nuclear energy as much as possible. It is far cleaner than fossil energy.
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Normally, I would recognize the sarcasm. Hell, if anyone ever said that to me face to face I would just laugh instantly. On this board though, with some of the stuff the denialists post, I assumed you were serious.

On the nuclear front, there are trade-offs with any alternative energy, just like with hydro.
 
Dungheap said:
Well, first you would have to show that hydroelectricity is more environmentally unfriendly than other forms of electricity production, such as burning fossil fuels, the predominant form of electricity production in the United States. My strong suspicion is that the methane that results from rotting vegetation and wild life pales in comparison to greenhouse gases produced from burning fossil fuels.
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That's the crux of the article... you do know how to read, correct?
 
FTA


"Often it's accepted that hydropower is a climate friendly technology but in fact probably all reservoirs around the world emit greenhouse gases and some of them, especially some of the ones in the tropics, emit very high quantities of greenhouse gases even comparable to, in some cases even much worse than, fossil fuels like coal and gas," Mr McCully said.
 
tinfoil said:
FTA


"Often it's accepted that hydropower is a climate friendly technology but in fact probably all reservoirs around the world emit greenhouse gases and some of them, especially some of the ones in the tropics, emit very high quantities of greenhouse gases even comparable to, in some cases even much worse than, fossil fuels like coal and gas," Mr McCully said.
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Yes, I know how to read, do you?

Even assuming the article is correct, the fact that some reservoirs in the tropics emit very high quantities of greenhouse gases does not mean that hydroelectric dams in the United States emit more greenhouse gases than fossil fuel powered plants.

The crux of the article is that hydroelectric power is not perfect. That you misread it is not surprising.

Get it?
 
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