The TV stations were showing a clip last night on various newscasts of
the preparations taking place for flooding the Yangtze valley upstream
from the dam. I think that there is a strong risk of this being the
worst environmental and human disaster in the world, having visited the
site a few weeks ago. It will certainly be a major producer of
greenhouse gases (possibly more per kWh produced than fossil fuel power
stations). It will also put at risk the lives of millions of Chinese and
will promote a much higher level of chemical pollution downstream.

On the positive side, it will produce 1/6 of the country's current (no
pun!) needs of electricity, assuming there are no major hitches, by
2009, by which time the demand will be up over 25%, mainly because of
our industry (the polluting coal-fired stations will not be closed down,
therefore, because of the dam coming on line.

I have purposely not justified any of my assertions above, but can
substantiate every one of them.

The question is: is such a massive project justified today?

Brian