Three Gorges Dam

Largest Dam in the world Built on the Yangtze River in China

Why Build the Dam? China has some of the most polluted airspace in the world due to sulfur and carbon dioxide emissions 75% of China’s energy comes from coal, which is single largest source of emissions, also very expensive Emissions are major contributor to global warming Yangtze River is one of the most dangerous rivers in the world – in danger of flooding every year 214 catastrophic floods in last 2,000 yrs = 1 every 10 yrs

Why continued… Needed to generate enough power to keep up with China’s economic growth More and more Chinese people are giving up on farming and moving to the cities, increasing urbanization and industrial expansion China is extremely inefficient at getting the most out of the energy they create

Constructing the Giant Started in 1994 – completed in 2006 – added more generators by 2008 Continually under inspection and repair 1.3 miles in length and 610 ft high Reservoir is 360 miles long (nearly half the length of California) Estimated cost is around 30 billion dollars Can produce the same amount of energy as roughly 15 nuclear power plants or the equivalent of burning 50 million tons of coal or 25 million tons of crude oil

Benefits of the Dam Flood control – dam can now control the catastrophic floods that occur Thousands and millions of people drastically affected by flooding in the past Huge power generator – supplies power to middle, eastern, and southern parts of China Has ability to power 1/3 of households in China River Transportation – fuels trade and tourism, bringing wealth to interior Allows for utilization of water resources Cuts down on pollution

The Dark Side: During & After Reservoir created by dam submerged: 13 cities, 140 towns, 1,350 villages, 1,300 known archeological sites, thousands of acres of farmland, and hundreds of factories, mines, and waste dumps Led to relocation of over 1.3 million people Largest peace time evacuation in history, causing many to lose cultural and family roots Thousands more are expected to be relocated to relieve pressure on the fragile reservoir slopes Harmful to wildlife populations: Chinese river dolphin, sturgeon, paddlefish, Tiger, alligator, Siberian Crane, and Giant Panda

Dark Side continued… Reservoir is on two major fault lines, creating seismic risks Linked to 2008 earthquake in Sichuan Province Causing shifts in weather patterns Cracks in the dam are appearing all over Project is plagued by corruption

Engineering marvel that will power China into the 20th Century Three Gorges Dam An enormous mistake or Engineering marvel that will power China into the 20th Century Special Report