Humans have been stealing energy from flowing water for at least two thousand years. It wasn’t until the advent of electricity that things really got cookin’. All we need to do now is to work out the harmful environmental impacts of this green energy.
# Stuff You Should Know - Hydropower Episode Summary
Josh and Chuck dive deep into the surprising history and current state of hydroelectric power, exploring how we harness water's incredible force to generate electricity. They trace hydropower from ancient water wheels to modern turbines, explain the four main types of hydroelectric plants, and reveal why this renewable energy source peaked in America back in 1960 but now accounts for only 6 percent of U.S. electricity. While hydropower seems like the perfect green energy solution with no greenhouse gas emissions and lightning-fast response times, the hosts uncover some uncomfortable truths about massive environmental costs, from devastating ecosystems and displacing communities to blocking fish migration and releasing methane from flooded forests—making the industry's future far more complicated than its squeaky-clean reputation suggests.
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