Kimberly Buono Econ 4999 The Ethics of Renewable Resources: Case Study: China’s Three Gorges Dam Within the past decade, many countries have become aware of the harmful effects of the use of fossil fuels. These effects range from pollution in the air and water to adverse health effects in humans. The scientific community has recently come to the conclusion that the use of fossil fuels, which release the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide and other harmful gases, has lead to global warming.1 As a result, many countries have been turning to the development of renewable resources such as windmills, solar power, and hydroelectric power plants. China is one of these countries and within several years they are set to become the world’s leading producer of hydroelectric power.2 The Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River will help China accomplish this goal. Although hydroelectric power generation can help countries reduce their usage of fossil fuels, there are many negative ethical, ecological, and social side effects. Thus, one must analyze these negative side effects to determine if the substitution of renewable resources for conventional fossil fuels is always the best method. In this essay, I will use China’s Three Gorges Dam, to be completed in 2009, as a case study to observe the economic, ecological, ethical, and social effects to determine if the use of renewable resources is always the best path to take. For the purpose of this essay, the economic effects will be based purely on monetary terms. The most recent estimates propose the costs of the Three Gorges Dam 1 According the International Panel on Climate Change 2 Keynote Speech at United Nations Symposium on Hydropower and Sustainable Development in 2004project to be about $180 billion.3 Although, the Chinese government’s figure remain quite lower, between $25 and $75 billion.4 According to Joanna Gail Salazar, author of “Damming the Child of the Ocean: The Three Gorges Dam project” (2000) “…such costs include those for increased relocation…dredging of the navigation route, reforestation and erosion control programs, dike and levy improvements, excavation of archeological sites, vector control and related health programs, and wastewater infrastructure improvements…” (Salazar, 168-169). Salazar also points out that much of the costs are being financed through the banking system, which may lead to higher inflation less funding for health and education programs and be detrimental to the economy.5 However, the dam is also supposed to “calm” the Yangtze River, in order to enable large ocean freight ships to travel inward on the river during certain months of the year.6 The hope is that this will increase the economic potential for port towns upward on the river that otherwise would be small, mainly poor villages. But, it is difficult to say whether this potential economic growth will be able to offset the extremely high costs of construction and maintenance of the dam. One must also question whether the current decrease in funding for health and educational programs will be made up in the future or whether it will be a detriment for Chinese children. Are the current high economic costs worth the future benefits the dam may bring? Will future generations be able to pay the costs of maintaining the structure? These are important questions relating to the feasibility of the dam and maybe, the Chinese government should have thought longer about them. 3 Lin Yang. “China’s Three Gorges Dam Under Fire.” TIME. 12 October 2007. 4 According to Salazar and Heggelund 5 “Damming the Child of the Ocean: The Three Gorges Project” page 169 6 “Damming the Child of the Ocean: The Three Gorges Project” page 168Another, more obvious, area the dam will have a large impact on is the environment and changing the natural course of the Yangtze River. “Flood control along the Yangtze is a main priority of this project” (Salazar, 164). Ever since people have lived along the river, there have been extreme catastrophes, many deaths, associated with the annual flooding of the Yangtze. According to Salazar, approximately 300,000 people were killed in floods of the Yangtze in the 20th century.7 Chinese officials will be able to control the flow of water through the dam and save countless lives that are lost to the devastating floods every year. However, it is also important to note that because of major deforestation along the river, silt deposits can occur behind the dam, and, unless it is maintained, could result in the failure of the Three Gorges Dam.8 Although flood control may be seen as a positive environmental effect of dam, there are many other environmental effects that are damaging to aquatic life, humans, and the river itself. The Three Gorges Dam will create a large reservoir of water behind it. Due to the fact that there are many factories up river that dump pollutants into the water, the waters in the reservoir have become extremely polluted. Stagnant waters in the reservoir will also create a perfect environment for a certain type of snail that carries a parasitic flatworm, which is can be harmful to humans. This water may also create a breeding ground for mosquitoes, which can carry malaria. The Chinese government has only set aside a limited amount of funds for treating these infections in their costs for the dam.9 How will the government come up with enough money to pay for health care of the mostly poor people who will contract these diseases? Or will they just let the people 7 “Damming the Child of the Ocean: The Three Gorges Project” page 164 8 Same as above 9 This paragraph based on Salazar’s “Damming the Child of the Ocean: The Three Gorges Project” page 166suffer without any healthcare? It’s hard to tell this now, but maybe within a few years the United Nations or World Bank will have reports on it. Resettlement of millions of people has also lead to environmental degradation in new areas. “As the number of people to be resettled increases, so does the threat of deforestation, subsequent soil erosion, and river sedimentation” (Salazar, 164). As people move to new at take up their old way of life, farming, they will cut down trees and maybe use pesticides or other chemicals to grow their crops. The deforestation will lead to soil erosion and the introduction of pesticides may lead to more pollution of the land and water. Should