Dam and dam more

In an article in the May 30th, 2007 Wall Street Journal entitled "Dam the Salmon" discussing the opposition of some environmentalists to the Klamath hydroelectric dams in the Pacific Northwest, writer Shikha Dalma notes: "These dams provide cheap, renewable energy to 70,000 homes in Oregon and California. Replacing this energy with natural gas -- the cleanest fossil-fuel source -- would still pump 473,000 tons of additional carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every year. This is roughly equal to the annual emissions of 102,000 cars."

But perhaps the most important point made in this article is that "Large hydro dams supply about 20% of California's power (and 10% of America's)." (Bold italics mine). http://www.opinionjournal.com/extra/?id=110010142

The Environmental Protection Agency recognizes hydroelectric dams as a clean, renewable energy source http://www.epa.gov/cleanrgy/hydro.htm

Some, not all, environments oppose dams and wish, for a variety of reasons to restore rivers to their "natural flow." Check out this blog: http://battlefortheklamath.blogspot.com/search/label/klamath The blog's writer says "PacifiCorp, part of Warren Buffet's financial empire, is willing to spend the estimated $300 million it will take to build the fish ladders needed for salmon to get on the other side of the four dams on the Klamath River instead of taking out the dams and restoring the river to its historic flows. Some studies show taking out the dams would cost less than building the fish ladders. PacifiCorp is not ruling out breaching the dams, but this is still a blow to those (including me) that hoped the high cost of the fish ladder system would cause PacifiCorp to tear down the dams for financial, if not environmental, reasons."

For many environmentalists, a major issue has been the impact of dams on salmon and other river marine life. Yet, PacifiCorp is willing to spend the money to build the fish ladders and in other ways modify the dams to protect salmon and other river marine life.

My basic premise is that National Security, energy independence and global warming are closely linked issues, which must be urgently addressed simultaneously. Public policy should reflect this.

Al-Qaeda, its affiliates and imitators, would be delighted to see hydroelectric dams, a domestic source of non-fossil fueled, clean, renewable energy removed. America can’t afford to decommission dams. We should be building more - and, they should be designed with fish ladders and other technology to address environmental issues. Its not that a hydroelectric dam has no impact on the environment, but we are certainly capable to building hydroelectric plants which have much less impact on the environment that we did in the past as well as environmentally upgrading existing hydroelectric dams.

Every kilowatt of energy produced by non-carbon emitting. renewable energy in America lessens our national carbon footprint, and weans us off Middle East oil.