Hydroelectric dams in Amazon as source of GHG
- COPPE-UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)
A recent paper by Fearnside points out that hydroelectric development in Amazonia is a significant source of greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions. This conclusion is in contrast to the common belief that hydroelectric dams are better than fossil fuel use in electric power generation, from the view point of GHG emissions. The authors have considered both CH{sub 4} and CO{sub 2} emissions taking into account the instantaneous radiative forcing due to a unit increase in the concentration of gases, the decay times of gases in the atmosphere and the emissions patterns of emissions vary depending on biomass density and type of the forest area flooded, as well as on depth of flooding. As the Fearnside paper is more concerned with CO{sub 2} emissions from the above water biomass, the authors` focus will be restricted to the formulae for calculating the cumulative effect of CO{sub 2}.
- OSTI ID:
- 471071
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-960420-; ISBN 0-884736-02-5; TRN: 97:008701
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 7. global warming international conference and exposition, Vienna (Austria), 1-3 Apr 1996; Other Information: PBD: 1996; Related Information: Is Part Of The 7. global warming international conference and expo: Abstracts; PB: 154 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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