How is hydropower sustainable?
I didn’t even get to use the app because I became suspicious when having to choose how I best wanted to offset my carbon footprint from a few different options including hydropower solutions. Dams used for generating hydropower have immense negative effects on the environment: they actually emit CO2 due to the stagnant water, they disrupt natural flows of water by drastically reducing river debit, impacting vegetation and wildlife downriver, as well as fish populations, and they destroy landscapes. This is without mentioning the actual CO2 emissions due to their actual construction. So how is this offsetting? Thanks, will find other ways.
Show less
Response from developer
Hi Anda, thanks for your feedback and raising this issue. Large hydropower plants can indeed have negative effects on the environment, connected with blocking, diverting, or changing the natural course of river systems. We are, however, looking into partnering up with small-scale hydropower projects (run-of-the-river hydropower), which do not divert or store large amounts of water. They are modelled after tidal energy, in which underwater turbines are anchored to the riverbed and spin from the flowing river current.
