Summary- The Chinese government suspects that the massive dam called Three Gorges Dam, may cause significant environmental damage, The Scientific American exemplified.
- These individuals believe that this dam has the potential of becoming one of China's biggest environmental nightmares. - This dam might be "triggering landslides, altering entire ecosystems, and causing other serious environmental problems— and, by extension, endangering the millions who live in its shadow." - This dam was created for the renewable power of energy and to prevent floods. - Wang Xiaofeng said that "we simply cannot sacrifice the environment in exchange for temporary economic gain." - These comments about how dangerous dams are have been approved by multiple geologists, biologists, and environmentalists. - These individuals believe that "massive hydropower dam in an area that is heavily populated, home to threatened animal and plant species, and crossed by geologic fault lines is a recipe for disaster." - Chinese scientists warned that this dam could endanger the area's remaining residents. - Also, "landslides caused by increased pressure on the surrounding land, a rise in waterborne disease, and a decline in biodiversity." - This dam also deals with water displacement since it is taking a toll on China's animals and plants. - Biodiversity is threatened as the dam floods some habitat, reduces water flow to others, and alters weather patterns. |
China's Three Gorges Dam: An Environmental Catastrophe?Facts- The Three Gorges Dam is the most significant dam in the world.
- "Government officials have long defended the $24-billion project as a major source of renewable power for an energy-hungry nation." - When complete, the dam will generate 18,0000 megawatts of power. - This dam will create eight times more than the U.S.'s Hoover Dam on the Colorado River. - Plants to create this dam were first approved in 1992. - To date, the government has ordered some "1.2 million people in two cities and 116 towns clustered on the banks of the Yangtze to be evacuated to other areas before construction." - China is home to 10 percent of the world's vascular plants. - Multiple species, such as the giant panda, are only found in China. - "Government officials have long defended the $24-billion project as a major source of renewable power for an energy-hungry nation and as a way to prevent floods downstream." - "The reservoir could also break up land bridges into small islands, isolating clusters of animals and plants. In 1986, Venezuela's Raúl Leoni Dam flooded 1,660 square miles (4,300 square kilometers) of land, creating the vast Lake Guri, along with a scattering of submerged land." |
Key Terms- Hydroelectric dam: Hydroelectric power is produced as water passes through a dam, and into a river below.
- Flood: Cover or submerge (a place or area) with water. - Geologists: An expert in or a student of geology. - Biologists: An expert in or student of the branch of science concerning living organisms. - Biodiversity: The variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem. - Deforestation: The action of clearing a wide area of trees. - Water shortage: Water scarcity is the lack of sufficient available water resources to meet water needs within a region. - Waterborne disease: Conditions caused by pathogenic micro-organisms that are transmitted in water. |
Opinion
Dams bring multiple advantages to our world. Benefits such as that it gathers drinking water for individuals, it helps farmers bring water to their farms, keep areas from flooding, and most importantly, it help creates power and electricity from water. Unfortunately, dams bring multiple disadvantages to our ecosystem. One of its drawbacks is that individuals get evacuated from their land when a barrier is being in construction. In other words, individuals are left without a home. According to Scientific American, "1.2 million people in two cities and 116 towns clustered on the banks of the Yangtze to be evacuated to other areas before construction." Other disadvantages are that it is costly to build and species (animals and plants) are impacted by this construction (ex. their habitat gets destructed).
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