一起听新闻、学英语-CBC NEWS-Hydro Dam Impact

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So as been told by the government as a source of clean energy, but some critics and environment groups aren’t so sure that’s true. Our environment reporter Lisa Johnson has that story.


There’s no doubt, there will be an environment cost from flatting this valley. It’ll destroy farmland and displace wild life. The question is, is it worth it? The government argued there is an environmental payoff in the form of clean power, but big dams can also come with major greenhouse gas emissions.

“We know for some of the flat dams in Brazil, a dam can be as bad as coal fire pipelines.”

That’s in the tropics, but even here in BC, there’s energy use in constructing the dam and much large problem. The plant growing here are absorbing carbon now, but when this land get flatted, they’ll die and release potent greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

“So are we looking at the projects, there’s really a climate benefits or not.” BC hydro’s own report on Site C, says close to 1 million tons of CO2 could be released by the flatted lands and it’ll take 35 to 40 years for emissions to return to normal. The report still concludes power from Site C would have lower emission per kilowatt than coal or diesel power, on par with solar or wind bines. That suggest the dam could help the environment, even replacement the dirty power here or elsewhere. But those post say that’s not guaranteed.

“So we have nothing to ensure that power, that low carbon energy will be used to off set coal. For all we know it’s going to use the power, air conditioners in California.” So that’s British Columbia’s way the environmental cost of this project. They also have to ask, who benefits.