the film
forum
library
tutorial
contact
Commentaries and editorials

Removal of Dams
Would Be a Disaster

by Gary Hartman
Albany Democrat-Herald, February 23, 2021

(Steven Lane photo) Under Rep. Mike Simpson's plan, $10 billion would be invested in clean energy to replace power from the lower Snake River dams. A physics or engineering student learns that energy is produced by various forces, but politicians do not understand.

Their present view about wind energy is a good example. Take a look at Texas right now.

Energy is basically the result of some process of force acting on some mechanism, whether turning a windmill in the wind or turning a generator at a dam.

An electric generator in a dam uses water height (head) energy provided by a fall of the weight of water. That is the energy producer.

If you pick up a bucket of air vs. a bucket of water, you will not be confused as to the difference in work to lift each.

Producing energy is exactly the reverse! The water weight capability vs. air ... Anyone can see why one produces way more energy!

The water (hydroelectric) energy is far superior to the energy from the wind. That is why a single 15-foot diameter turbine in a typical small dam produces more energy than a dozen or more wind generators with their ridiculous 200-foot blades.

And which one has a more reliable source, the river or the wind? Isn't it obvious?

The four dams on the Snake River produce 2,500 million watts of peak energy, yet many foolish politicians want to remove those dams! As they are imminent to doing down on the Klamath River in Southeastern Oregon.

The first winter or summer after that (dependent only on wind generation ... would be a disaster!

Related Pages:
Public Comment and Federal Responses, 45-day comment period of 8,000 page CRSO EIS, by bluefish during the Covid-19 Lockdown, 2020.


Gary Hartman, Lebanon
Removal of Dams Would Be a Disaster
Albany Democrat-Herald, February 23, 2021

See what you can learn

learn more on topics covered in the film
see the video
read the script
learn the songs
discussion forum
salmon animation