Hydropower boom, climate change threaten to destroy Mekong River

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-a good look at the effects man's use of technology has wrought on the environment as well as the communities by the river banks.
-consider also the limitations and viability of hydro-elctric power as a form of renewable energy that helps to cut carbon footprints....note how it may solve one envmtal problem (cut emissions) only to create another envmtal problem (disrupt ecosystem downstream)


a prolonged drought and a huge new dam over the border in Laos, the first on the lower Mekong, have stolen the nutrients needed to sustain life.

With about 10 more dams planned for the mainstream Mekong's lower reaches and hundreds more on its tributaries, a lifeline for 60 million people is being choked.

The fishers of Nong Khai used to farm to supplement their income, but the Mekong's vagaries have upended agriculture, too. As the water recedes from the riverbank, Mr Buorot has been forced to use pumps to nourish his riverside fields.

"When you build dams and steal sand," the monk said, "you change the course of a river, and you change the course of life."

Qns:
1. Assess the view that attempts to control climate change can never be truly effective. (Cam. 2017)
2. Discuss the view that, with an increasing global need for energy, every possible source should be exploited to the full. (Cam. 2014)
3. Does modern technology always improve the quality of people’s lives? (Cam 2006)