Is This Good or Bad? (Susitna: homes, construction, electricity)

[Barkingowl]

Hydropower project stirs dissent: Money | adn.com

[Alaskagrl]

Looks like a great project with lots of potential.

Insects are hardier than we think and sooo numerous. The idea that this small project, which won't be drying up the creek, would cumulatively impact enough bugs to put the fish in danger is another environmentalist knee-jerk reaction. This is just a small portion of the associated watershed, anyway.

Enviros gotta stop thinking they can have it both ways. Or 3 ways, should I say, cheap, green, and no construction with associated short-term impacts.

If you build, some bugs/etc. are going to die. Will that loss compound in the next 5 years at that site? No. All bug loss will likely be recovered. Clean energy for 1000 homes?? Go for it!!

[Rance]

It's good and bad.

[Xa'at]

There is no source of electricity out there that is perfect. I'm an environmentalist to my core and this strikes me as taking it a bit too far. Perhaps those who are raising concerns to this need to take a moment and think about what the impact of a giant-ass coal plant belching acrid black smoke would have in comparison to this hydropower project.
Human beings cannot exist without making an impact on the environment. I think sometimes people forget that.

[rotorhead]

With most hydro projects the environmental impact is largely a matter of both location and scale. In this particular location and the very small scale they're talking about, I have a really hard time seeing how it's going to make much of an impact. Thats especially true seeing as it's a run-of-river project, meaning virtually no impounded water (no new lake created), just a pipe leading to the turbine. Additionally, the drainage has already been modified for road construction, a factor that this hydro plant appears to actually mitigate to some extent according to the ADN article. If they were talking about creating a huge dam across the entire Susitna drainage (don't laugh, they were seriously considering that in the late '50's) that would be another matter entirely.

Chalk it up to another case of the BANANA syndrome (build absolutely nothing anywhere near anything) thats ever-so-popular with the knee-jerk enviro-alarmists. If they don't make everything thats proposed sound like a dire emergency, their fundraising drys up and all their cushy desk jobs go away. They have a vested interest in making ALL development sound like a disaster.

[Alaskagrl]

Originally Posted by Xa'at

There is no source of electricity out there that is perfect. I'm an environmentalist to my core and this strikes me as taking it a bit too far. Perhaps those who are raising concerns to this need to take a moment and think about what the impact of a giant-ass coal plant belching acrid black smoke would have in comparison to this hydropower project.
Human beings cannot exist without making an impact on the environment. I think sometimes people forget that.

U R AWESOME!! Your last couple sentences are really spot-on. We probably wouldn't agree on some things but you clearly have common sense, which is what some of the hardcore greenies seem to lack. Thank you.