By Tim Hirsch
Sao Paulo, Brazil
Scientists in Brazil have claimed that a major source of greenhouse gas emissions could be curbed by capturing and burning methane given off by large hydro-electric dams.
The team at the country's National Space Research Institute (INPE) is developing prototype equipment designed to stop the greenhouse gas from entering the atmosphere.
The technology will extract the methane from the water to supplement the energy produced by the dam turbines.
The scientists estimate that worldwide the technique could prevent emissions equivalent to more than the total annual burning of fossil fuels in the UK - and reduce the pressure to build new dams in sensitive areas such as the Amazon.
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Critics of the industry have claimed that in tropical areas of Brazil - which supplies more than 90% of its electricity from large dams - some reservoirs emit so much methane that their contribution to climate change is greater than an equivalent power station burning fossil fuels like coal or gas.
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more:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6638705.stmDams produce methane? :wow::wow::wow: (in best Johny Carson voice) I did not know that!
Kudos to these guys for doing some serious, insightful thinking, and following up with the "detail work" that is necessary to bring a good idea to fruition.
This is a reasonably long article (well, it IS the BBC) and worth a read-through.