[LMB] "Civilization isn't just electricity."

[Mandos Mitchinson]

> The thing I wonder is, why isn't more being done to bring 
> more hydroelectric on line in the U.S.?  Talk about a proven 
> system, and green as all get-out.  Geography?  Politics?  
> Does anyone know why this isn't being more promoted?

The issue is mainly that while it seems green it actually can be very
ungreen to use hydro. 

Animal life is often abundant around rivers and damming them to produce
lakes can often cause all kinds of issues particularly for birds. Salmon are
unable to return to breeding grounds despite Salmon ladders being installed
and if they do make it back the young often get swept through the turbines
and killed on the way back, to the point where some places actually use
barges to get the young fish back down river, and scientists are still
unsure what that does to their ability to make it back to a spawning ground.
Some riversbeds have been entirely diverted changing the ecosystem for miles
downstream and on top of that you have the issues where plant life is not
killed off prior to the flooding and the rotting plant life generates
Methane, a major greenhouse contributer.  

All that covered though I still think it is a good idea and at least it is
renewable energy although I would much prefer to see more of a move to
Thorium based Nuclear systems.

Mandos
/s