Ian Elwood's blog

Movimento Xingu Vivo para Sempre stops construction at Belo Monte's Pimental work site

In the first days of the New Year, Brazilian contractors quietly started blockading the Xingu River to allow construction to start on the massive Belo Monte Dam. Often called the "Pandora Dam" by mainstream media because of James Cameron’s support for the struggle against it, the hydroelectric project could become the world’s third largest. While construction had started on roads and associated works several months ago, the building of coffer dams to divert the flow of the river started during the Brazillian new year holiday, presumably to sidestep the scrutiny of civil society, NGOs and regional activists. But escape scrutiny it did not.

Lori Pottinger and I recently spoke with Samir Mehta, South Asia Program Director about the issues facing the region. The video I filmed and edited shows that the Himalayas and the entire region are indeed threatened by dam building and climate change. Samir explains how social movements are adapting to work against dam building, shifting from dam-centric opposition to protecting and conserving entire rivers.

Tang Hpre near the Irrawaddy Myitsone dam construction site, Burma

The cancellation of the Myitsone dam project has grabbed international headlines this week, the decision prompted by the new president, Thein Sein. The president said that the dam was against the will of the people, according to The Economist.

This a good sign for Burmese civil society and local communities. Will this victory be a new chapter for local partner groups in Burma? The following ABC News interview with International Rivers campaigner Pianporn Deetes, goes into greater detail.

Dams can be major generators of greenhouse gases, but many people are unaware just how much global warming impact they can have. For the uninitiated, the concept may seem far-fetched. Surely dams can't be bigger generators of greenhouse gases than...a coal burning power plant?!

Check out the following infographic to learn how dams cause the planet to get hotter.

Mekong Protest Makes Local Headlines

A flurry of press coverage ensued after an April 17 report by the Bankok Post that construction had begun on the Xayaburi Dam "on [the] sly." Shortly thereafter The Associated Press picked it up. The New York Times also reported on the construction. Voice of America reported that a US Senator has expressed disapproval over the construction and the soon after the San Francisco Chronicle wrote a piece that further informed US audiences.

Reuters published a Q&A about the main issues with Xayaburi, reiterating – among other things – that a proper Environmental Impact Assessment was not done.

Miranda Leitsinger of MSNBC wrote a thorough assessment on the risks the Mekong faces, along with the news that Vietnam supports a 10 year moratorium on the project. The Financial Times issued the announcement that the official decision was going to be delayed, and UPI reported on the WWF's support of the 10 year moratorium.

Patagonia Rising gives an excellent perspective on the issue of Chilean dams being built in Patagonia. Through personal interviews and lush footage of natural landscapes, Patagonia Rising documents the struggle of mostly poor and rural people, fighting the development of the HidroAysén dam project.

When I check Twitter in the morning, do I expect to see updates on hydroelectric projects? Certainly! But would I ever expect to see this?

• Water levels rising, OMG, better open the gates
• Makin' electricity, makin' electricity, makin' electricity
• @IntlRivers Hmph. I have never emitted a greenhouse anything!
  

If the Hoover Dam had internet access, you might see something like this in its Twitter feed. For this I am glad the dam is not connected – but frequent and boring tweets are not the only reason.

Ridiculous as my facetious example may seem, backers of a new bill introduced by the U.S. Congress (S.21) are using anecdotes not too dissimilar to argue that an "internet kill-switch" should be created to protect the nation's infrastructure – such as the Hoover Dam – against "cyber attack."

Take a look at this great talk by energy efficiency expert Saul Griffith, given at PopTech in 2008. Though it is a few years old, the video is still relevant – it walks you through an audit of Saul's home energy use and the results are surprising. Even someone as well versed in energy efficiency as Saul Griffith uses eight times more power than a person living in the Global South.

The following is a guest blog written by Kate Ross, Intern Extraordinaire

On Wednesday November 10th, 2010 more than 1,000 pairs of eyes were pointed towards Jalisco, Mexico. Reaching across tens of thousands of miles, the voices of those in Kenya, Turkey, Australia, Canada and Brazil could be heard together in one cry: No to the Zapotillo Dam.

Friends from Rivers for Life 3, who spent a memorable October week in Temacapulín joined hands and hearts in solidarity with the community of Temaca on Wednesday. Many went to protest at the Mexican Embassy in their cities, others sent letters directly to the government expressing their concern and calling for a stop to the project. Videos, photos and articles with messages of strength and support for the communities of Temaca, Acasico and Palmarejo are still being created and circulated.

Radio Building in Temaca

The stories about Rivers for Life 3 keep cranking off of printing presses and flashing across computer screens. One thing is clear: the meeting made a big impact on many peoples' lives.

Many excellent videos have been posted, due to the prevalence of technology at the meeting. The following is a RIvers for Life 3 YouTube playlist, with the newest videos first.