1 GREENHOUSE-GAS EMISSIONS FROM AMAZONIAN HYDROELECTRIC RESERVOIRS: THE EXAMPLE OF BRAZIL'S TUCURUÍ DAM AS COMPARED TO FOSSIL FUEL ALTERNATIVES

Hydroelectric dams in tropical forest areas emit carbon dioxide and methane. How these emissions and their impacts should be calculated, and how comparisons should be made with global warming contributions of alternative energy sources such as fossil fuels, can lead to sharp differences in conclusions on the relative advantages of these options. The example of Brazil's Tucuruí Dam is examined to clarify these differences. The present paper extends an earlier analysis to 100 years and explores the differences between these and comparable fossil fuel emissions. Factors considered here in calculating emissions for Tucuruí Dam include the initial stock and distribution of carbon, decay rates and pathways (leading to carbon dioxide and methane), and losses of power in transmission lines. Factors not considered include forest degradation on island