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I don‘t know how to think about the other comments concentrating more about coal vs hydroelectric but I went to the grant canyon with my family just this summer

I don‘t know how to think about the other comments concentrating more about coal vs hydroelectric but I went to the grant canyon with my family just this summer (I‘m from Europe) and it is not just a hole in the ground. My kids did the Junior Ranger badges for the south rim and one learns a lot about the ecosystem throughout the canyon. But maybe I‘m indoctrinated now… I know a similar plan existed for Yosemite which sounds even more crazy to me. I think the human behavior to put its need above all other is the problem. Not withstanding the fact that we understand little about the consequences of these kind of changes.

biggc 3y ago
Do you know about Hetch Hetchy? It's a valley near Yosemite that John Muir described as being equally beautiful. They flooded it to create a water supply for San Francisco.
- larusso 3y ago
  No I did not. I learned from Yosemite flooding from a tourguide the first time I’ve been to the park.
- godzillabrennus 3y ago
  Amazing. I can’t believe I learned about this just now.
- zoklet-enjoyer 3y ago
  Here's a page about towns that have been permanently flooded in the US. Elbowoods, ND is pretty messed up. Native people were displaced and lost their good farmland so that people down river would benefit. https://clui.org/newsletter/spring-2005/immersed-remains-towns-submerged-america https://clui.org/newsletter/spring-2005/immersed-remains-tow...
  - ghaff 3y ago
    There are a ton of dams/reservoirs on the US East Coast (I'm most familiar with New England) that flooded out towns. For better or worse, those types of projects would be extremely difficult to do today. See also the interstate highway system.
bradleyjg 3y ago
the ecosystem throughout the canyon Everything has an ecosystem. Even deep ocean volcanic vents. We can either build nothing anywhere, or we have to pick and choose. The Grand Canyon itself is a major tourist attraction and should be left alone but in my opinion the not-quite-as-grand canyon should be higher on the chopping block than yet another chunk of Appalachian hardwood forest. Sand fly and rattlesnake notwithstanding.
- ghaff 3y ago
  Opinion in the US has probably generally turned against dams. A fair number of smaller dams that needed maintenance anyway have been dismantled, a lot of people are probably of the opinion that it's good we didn't go ahead with projects like this one and the Tocks Island Dam, or that some currently-existing big dams like Glen Canyon were maybe bad ideas.
  - hinkley 3y ago
    I've seen the flood history of the region I live in and I hope they don't remove all the dams. That was quite extensive damage.

biggc 3y ago

Do you know about Hetch Hetchy? It's a valley near Yosemite that John Muir described as being equally beautiful. They flooded it to create a water supply for San Francisco.

larusso 3y ago
No I did not. I learned from Yosemite flooding from a tourguide the first time I’ve been to the park.
godzillabrennus 3y ago
Amazing. I can’t believe I learned about this just now.
zoklet-enjoyer 3y ago
Here's a page about towns that have been permanently flooded in the US. Elbowoods, ND is pretty messed up. Native people were displaced and lost their good farmland so that people down river would benefit. https://clui.org/newsletter/spring-2005/immersed-remains-towns-submerged-america https://clui.org/newsletter/spring-2005/immersed-remains-tow...
- ghaff 3y ago
  There are a ton of dams/reservoirs on the US East Coast (I'm most familiar with New England) that flooded out towns. For better or worse, those types of projects would be extremely difficult to do today. See also the interstate highway system.

bradleyjg 3y ago

the ecosystem throughout the canyon Everything has an ecosystem. Even deep ocean volcanic vents. We can either build nothing anywhere, or we have to pick and choose. The Grand Canyon itself is a major tourist attraction and should be left alone but in my opinion the not-quite-as-grand canyon should be higher on the chopping block than yet another chunk of Appalachian hardwood forest. Sand fly and rattlesnake notwithstanding.

ghaff 3y ago
Opinion in the US has probably generally turned against dams. A fair number of smaller dams that needed maintenance anyway have been dismantled, a lot of people are probably of the opinion that it's good we didn't go ahead with projects like this one and the Tocks Island Dam, or that some currently-existing big dams like Glen Canyon were maybe bad ideas.
- hinkley 3y ago
  I've seen the flood history of the region I live in and I hope they don't remove all the dams. That was quite extensive damage.