LONDON (AlertNet) - Brazil intends to build more than 60 large dams in the Amazon basin over the next 20 years to supply its national electric grid, according to the Rainforest Foundation UK. Dams threaten to damage river ecosystems, forests and displace indigenous people, the foundation says. It argues that there are a range of alternatives which could meet Brazil's energy needs without compromising environmental sustainability. Some alternatives include wind power, solar power, retrofitting existing power plants and becoming more energy efficient, according to the group. "Brazil is not giving attention to the alternatives, including an overall plan for the energy sector," Brent Millikan, Amazon programme director for Internationational Rivers told AlertNet at an event hosted at Amnesty International in London to draw attention to the plight of indigenous people who say they will be displaced by the flooding caused by dams. -- Julie Mollins, AlertNet
Such a solar power system can be more cost effective than being connected to an existing power line, especially when you live some distance from power lines or a power plant.
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