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Hydropower
Stephen Currie
Energy and the Environment
San Diego, CA
© 2011 ReferencePoint Press, Inc.
Printed in the United States
For more information, contact:
ReferencePoint Press, Inc.
PO Box 27779
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ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
No part of this work covered by the copyright hereon may be reproduced or used in any form or by any
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Picture credits:
Cover: Dreamstime and iStockphoto.com
Maury Aaseng: 32–34, 46–48, 61–63, 75–76
AP Images: 15
Photoshot: 12
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA
Currie, Stephen, 1960–
Hydropower / by Stephen Currie.
p. cm. — (Compact research series)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN-13: 978-1-60152-434-8 (e-book)
1. Hydroelectric power plants—Juvenile literature. I. Title.
TK1081.C87 2011
333.91’4—dc22
2010017393
Contents
Foreword 6
Hydropower at a Glance 8
Overview 10
Can Hydropower Reduce Dependency on
Fossil Fuels? 21
Primary Source Quotes 28
Facts and Illustrations 31
How Does Hydropower Affect the Environment? 35
Primary Source Quotes 42
Facts and Illustrations 45
Can Developing Countries Benefit from
Hydropower? 50
Primary Source Quotes 57
Facts and Illustrations 60
Do the Oceans Represent the Future
of Hydropower? 64
Primary Source Quotes 71
Facts and Illustrations 74
Key People and Advocacy Groups 78
Chronology 80
Related Organizations 82
For Further Research 86
Source Notes 88
List of Illustrations 90
Index 91
About the Author 96
Foreword
“Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?”
—T.S. Eliot, “The Rock.”
A
s modern civilization continues to evolve, its ability to create, store,
distribute, and access information expands exponentially. The ex-
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phenomenal rate. By 2020 some experts predict the worldwide informa-
tion base will double every 73 days. While access to diverse sources of
information and perspectives is paramount to any democratic society,
information alone cannot help people gain knowledge and understand-
ing. Information must be organized and presented clearly and succinctly
in order to be understood. The challenge in the digital age becomes not
the creation of information, but how best to sort, organize, enhance, and
present information.
d
r
o ReferencePoint Press developed the Compact Research series with this
w
e challenge of the information age in mind. More than any other subject
r
o
F area today, researching current issues can yield vast, diverse, and unquali-
fied information that can be intimidating and overwhelming for even the
most advanced and motivated researcher. The Compact Research series of-
fers a compact, relevant, intelligent, and conveniently organized collection
of information covering a variety of current topics ranging from illegal
immigration and deforestation to diseases such as anorexia and meningitis.
The series focuses on three types of information: objective single-
author narratives, opinion-based primary source quotations, and facts
6
Foreword
and statistics. The clearly written objective narratives provide context
and reliable background information. Primary source quotes are care-
fully selected and cited, exposing the reader to differing points of view.
And facts and statistics sections aid the reader in evaluating perspectives.
Presenting these key types of information creates a richer, more balanced
learning experience.
For better understanding and convenience, the series enhances infor-
mation by organizing it into narrower topics and adding design features
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Compact Research: Illegal Immigration, a chapter covering the economic
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The ancient Roman philosopher Lucius Annaeus Seneca wrote, “It
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finding, organizing, and presenting the most relevant and appropriate
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invites, intrigues, and fosters understanding.
7
Hydropower
at a Glance
World Use of Hydropower
About 20 percent of the world’s electricity is produced by hydropower;
hydropower supplies almost all of the electricity in Norway, Paraguay,
and several other countries.
Dams
Dams block the flow of rivers, allowing the power of falling water to
be captured more easily; about 2,400 dams in the United States create
hydropower.
Environmental Issues
One advantage of hydropower over oil, natural gas, and other forms of
e energy is that it creates very little pollution, but large dams can destroy
c
n
a habitat and cause other environmental problems.
l
G
a
Replacing Fossil Fuels
t
a
er Hydropower is well suited to produce electricity but not other forms of
w
o energy; this limits its usefulness as a replacement for fossil fuels.
p
o
r
d A Renewable Resource
y
H
Like solar and wind power, hydropower is renewable; that is, running
water cannot be used up.
8
Hydropower at a Glance
The Developing World
Hydropower is not much used in the developing world today, but many
experts believe that its use can easily be expanded and can help develop-
ing nations grow economically.
Greenhouse Gases
Hydropower generally produces few greenhouse gases, making it an ap-
pealing option in a time of climate change.
Costs
Once a hydropower plant has been constructed, the electricity it pro-
duces is usually quite cheap; the cost of building a hydropower plant,
however, can be several billion dollars.
The Future of Hydropower
Some scientists believe the next frontier for hydropower lies in the oceans,
particularly in the power of the tides, currents, and waves.
9
Overview
“Hydroelectricity is clean and renewable. It has nu-
merous advantages, particularly in the fight against
climate change.”
—Marie-Elaine Deveault, spokesperson for Quebec Hydro, an energy company in Canada.
“Large hydropower projects have been shown to lead
to irreversible impacts on rivers and their ecosys-
tems, displace communities and even small towns,
and often do not provide economic benefits—or even
electricity—to those living close to the dams.”
—Elizabeth Bast, program director for Friends of the Earth, an environmental advocacy organization.
Hydropower Through the Ages
O
ver the years, people have obtained energy from a variety of sources.
Some of these sources are simple: Human muscles, for example,
w
e
i provide the force necessary to pedal a bicycle, and the muscles of
v
r
e animals such as mules and oxen have helped people transport goods from
v
O one place to another. Other sources are much more complex. To pro-
duce nuclear energy, for example, requires sophisticated equipment and
a great deal of scientific knowledge.
One of the simpler methods of acquiring energy is hydropower, or
the harnessing of the energy in moving water. Early peoples observed the
power of water all around them: in the tumbling of river currents, the
breaking of waves, and the rising and falling of tides. It was not difficult
for many of these ancient cultures to harness this power for human use.
10
