The Chute, First Falls, Ivanhoe River – Photo by Mark Clement
For over a century, hydropower has been greenwashed as a clean, renewable, and non-emitting energy source. In reality, hydro dams and their reservoirs are major drivers of climate change–emitting methane, carbon and nitrous oxide throughout their entire lifespan. Beyond greenhouse gases, their operations can reduce water quantity for long durations of time, degrade water quality, result in erosion, sedimentation, methylmercury contamination in fish, disrupt ecosystems, and threaten biodiversity. Far from being a clean and sustainable solution, hydropower poses serious environmental risks as long as the dam remains standing.