Book contents
- Hydropower in Authoritarian Brazil
- Studies in Environment and History
- Hydropower in Authoritarian Brazil
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Figures
- Acknowledgments
- Notes on the Text
- Introduction
- 1 Setting the Scene
- 2 Building “the Big Dam”
- 3 Pharaonic Environmentalism
- 4 Negotiating with Floodwaters
- 5 Environmental Transformations
- 6 The Notorious Balbina Dam
- 7 Aftermath
- Conclusion
- Bibliography
- Index
- Series page
Conclusion
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 09 July 2024
- Hydropower in Authoritarian Brazil
- Studies in Environment and History
- Hydropower in Authoritarian Brazil
- Copyright page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Figures
- Acknowledgments
- Notes on the Text
- Introduction
- 1 Setting the Scene
- 2 Building “the Big Dam”
- 3 Pharaonic Environmentalism
- 4 Negotiating with Floodwaters
- 5 Environmental Transformations
- 6 The Notorious Balbina Dam
- 7 Aftermath
- Conclusion
- Bibliography
- Index
- Series page
Summary
So, are dams good or bad? It is a popular question and one that has attracted a lot of attention from scholars and engineering professionals. The scholarly consensus suggests that most mega dams with giant reservoirs entail tremendous social and environmental damage, and that paying the full cost to remediate these impacts would render them less profitable than alternative forms of energy. However, such conclusions do not fit all dams and do little to dissuade those engineers, politicians, and citizens convinced that the widespread benefits of electrification are worth some social and environmental sacrifices at reservoir sites.
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- Information
- Hydropower in Authoritarian BrazilAn Environmental History of Low-Carbon Energy, 1960s–90s, pp. 271 - 278Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2024