The goal of this book is educating the public on the profound ecological damage caused by damming the world’s river, in particular by mega-dams at high latitudes. Hoarding of massive water volumes creates blue deserts behind the dams, but also makes previously fertile estuaries, gulfs, and coastal waters relatively barren, as nutrients from spring runoff, vital to the food chain, are withheld during the short natural growing season. Water hoarding has destroyed the ocean’s most biologically productive regions and the culture and economies of many indigenous peoples. The only things “green” about big hydro are the $100 dollar bills coming out of dam turbines. Hydro Quebec is a prime example. Unnatural flows may also be helping to drive climate change.
“All other perceived ills: pollution, overfishing, and, yes, even global warming, are secondary in importance to fundamental change brought by dewatering our global rivers.” —Dr. M.A. Rozengurt, Russian oceanographer (“Agonizing Coastal Sea Ecosystems: Understanding the Cause; Placing the Blame!” October 2003).