Putin concerned about Mongolian dam threatening Lake Baikal

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Putin concerned about Mongolian dam threatening Lake B

Vladimir Isachenkov, Associated Press
Updated 4:14 pm, Thursday, June 23, 2016

MOSCOW (AP) — Russia's President Vladimir Putin voiced strong concern Thursday about Mongolia's plans to build a hydroelectric plant on a river flowing into Lake Baikal, warning it could endanger the world's deepest lake.

. . .

Putin suggested that Russian power plants could increase electricity supply to Mongolia instead to help meet its energy needs.

The hydropower plant project long has drawn criticism from environmental groups, which expressed fears that it could endanger the world's oldest lake, formed more than 25 million years ago.

Environmentalists warn that the Mongolian dam project would disrupt the Selenga River flow into Lake Baikal and pose catastrophic threat to many of its 2,500 species, of which more than 75 percent are believed to exist only in its waters.


Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/world/article/Putin-concerned-about-Mongolian-dam-threatening-8321072.php

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[center]

Lake Baikal



Lake Baikal seals, the world's only freshwater seals. [/center]

Please see more images of fascinating Lake Baikal:

https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1181&bih=582&q=Lake+Baikal&oq=Lake+Baikal&gs_l=img.12..0l10.12927.12927.0.14480.1.1.0.0.0.0.131.131.0j1.1.0....0...1ac.1.64.img..0.1.128.fjot2WRoZe0#imgrc=_

[drm604]

1. Maybe I'm being cynical but I suspect that Putin has motives other than environmental.

[Scootaloo]

2. I think after what happened to the Aral Sea, environmental caution ought to be lauded

Even if it comes with strings attached.

[drm604]

5. Of course.

I'm just saying that I doubt that Putin has much in the way of environmental consciousness.

Any good that comes of this is of course to be lauded, but will be entirely secondary to the economic gains that would come from selling electricity to China. I also wonder about the environmental cost of generating that electricity, which will likely be generated by burning coal. They could be trading one problem for another.

[newthinking]

6. You may want to not rely so heavily on the one dimensional narratives pushed in our media

Yes, Russia is behind us in developing more advanced environmental approaches. But that is not because of Putin; it is simply that clean energy policy is general one of the latter concerns after the rest of the hierarchy of needs is filled.

Putin is a sportsman. Sportsmen, many who tended toward toward conservative socially, were first in this country to advocate and introduce environmental preservation. So it is not at all "suspicious" that he may be interested in the health of one of their major national resources.

A massive dam project like the one proposed will definitely have more environmental consequences down the road than a natural gas plant (which would be most likely the substitute if bought from Russia).

Russia contributes 5% of the world's greenhouse gasses. China contributes over 22%, , Europe about 20%, and the US over 15%.

Last, the current hybrid economic/geopolitical tension with Russia will definitely contribute to global warming (Not to mention the risk of nuclear exchange). Russia is not going to move well to modernize it's energy infrastructure under sanctions and they are not going to be all that motivated in an area that they are a relatively small contributor. The "carrot" would be necessary and stick diplomacy is ineffective for a country like Russia regardless who the leader is.

[Igel]

7. However, Putin is first and foremost a politician.

Otherwise he wouldn't be living in the Kreml'. He'd be spending most of his time out killing animals and otherwise showing his love for nature.

And this (a) decreases Mongolia's dependence on its neighbors while (b) not giving Russia a chance to increase Mongolia's dependence on one of the linchpins of Eurasia (see how China has to be involved?) and (c) taking something away from Russia that Russia didn't know until just now it cared about so deeply--water.

Yes, the Aral Sea is a good example. Of course, perhaps Russia's had a change of mind now that it has no say over the Aral. When it did, it was firmly Soviet and basically set things up to kill it. It's easy to be generous with another's possession. Then again, the Baikal had a bit of a pollution problem, too. Still does. (http://siberiantimes.com/ecology/casestudy/news/n0494-pollution-crisis-in-lake-baikal/)

And it doesn't help that the hydroelectric plant pulling water from the Baikal is still up and going strong with the Baikal at record or near-record lows. (http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2015/04/siberia-tug-war-lake-baikal-water-150406080745184.html) Sorry, Mongolia, you can't impede the flow of river water for your electricity because we need to maximize the outflow to produce our electricity. But we can share, and make you more reliant. I mean, in the last decade--during Sportsman Putin's term--they lowered the Angara to help increase flow to the dam ... which means the Baikal's base level is about a meter lower.

Bu we need to distract the Russian xenophobes: "Look, the reason for Baikal's problems is the dam that Mongolia might put up." Putin's visit to Baikal also followed on the heels of bad environmental news, and led to "they say Baikal is bad, but if the Great Leader is fishing in it it *must* be good. Bad independent media." Ignore the pollution. Ignore the draining of the Baikal with Russian approval--they have needs, after all. Blame the non-existent dam. And low-information Russians lap it up. Straight out of the sewage discharge pipes.

The Selenge River (let's use the Mongolian word for it) provides about 1/2 of Baikal's river water. The Orkhon River, where the dam would be built, averages about a quarter of the Selege's output. But just as the Angara River is dammed and draining Baikal, it's not like the Orkhon dam would stop all water. (It's a generating plant, after all.) In fact, once the dam is filled you'd pretty much expect the river flow to be unabated. (Now, could fish go upstream? No. Is that a problem? Don't know.) Would the river flood as it probably should? Dunno if that's a good thing or a bad thing. People matter, too.

[newthinking]

10. cool story bro

You read all that in Putin's mind ?
I can't say what are all his intentions but the one thing I can say is that if you base your theories on distortions in the media you are going to end up with wild conjecture.

[840high]

4. Take a look at the

pictures in the OP link. Magical.

[SkyDaddy7]

8. +1000...

...I know the environment has nothing to do with his calculations whatever they are. LOL! If it environment he is using it for something else...The man is no environmentalist!

[JackRiddler]

9. So what?

[840high]

3. Beautiful pictures.