The free-flowing Baker River in Chile’s Patagonia region. Permits for a major hydroelectric project on the waterway were revoked in 2014 amid protests. Chile is a land of rivers. Along its narrow 3,000-mile length, thousands of rivers and wetlands bring freshwater and nutrients down from the Andes Mountains to the Pacific Ocean. Together, these river systems drain 101 major watersheds that support both terrestrial and marine ecosystems, ranging from arid lands in the north to blue whale nurseries off of Patagonia in the south. Chile’s second-longest river, the 240-mile Biobío, once tumbled fast and wild through deep gorges and spectacular scenery on its way from the Andes to the sea. The Biobío was one of the world’s great whitewater rafting venues — until the 1990s, when the first of three large hydroelectric dams was built across the river. Over the past two decades, the Biobío dams have flooded more than 13,000 acres, displaced hundreds of families of the indigenous Mapuche people, turned long stretches of this once-unruly river into placid reservoirs, and caused abrupt fluctuations in water levels that have wrecked nesting habitat for native birds and disrupted the river’s natural rhythms. Today in Chile, despite citizen opposition, hydroelectric […]
Latest Articles
Oil has Long Been Used as a Geopolitical Weapon. Could Electrified Transport Change That?
Takeaways: One crucial step to reducing carbon emissions is by moving the transportation system from fossil fuel to electricity.
Electricity is a major commodity...
Two Students Made Compostable Water Filters From Food Waste
Takeaway: Two students from Pratt Institute have created Strøm, a compostable water filters made from food waste.
The filters use activated charcoal which are...
A $1.1 Billion Gift Launches Stanford Sustainability School
Takeaways: Stanford University has announced a $1.1 billion donation to a new school designed to accelerate interdisciplinary scholarship on climate and sustainability issues.
The...
Protecting Nature’s Rights in the Court Room
Takeaways: A lawsuit has been filed against the developers planning to build on Lake Mary Jane in Orange County, to stop construction on the...
The Top 5 Happy Eco News Stories for May 16, 2022
The Top 5 Happy Eco News Stories for May 16, 2022 Thanks for reading the Top 5 Happy Eco News! This week we have two guest...
A New Electric Microcar Could Redefine Urban Mobility. By Folding?
Takeaways: The City Transformer can shrink down from 98 inches long to 39 inches in tight spots.
This car promises to reshape urban mobility...