Cracked - SFBA Book Club

Audiobook

English language

Published May 2, 2023 by Patagonia.

ISBN:: 978-0-593-74826-8
OCLC Number:: 1378162023

(1 review)

The ugly truth about dams is about to be revealed.

During the first two decades of the twenty-first century, the whole messy truth about the legacy of last century’s big dam building binge has come to light. What started out as an arguably good government project has drifted oceans away from that original virtuous intent. Governments plugged the nation’s rivers in a misguided attempt to turn them into revenue streams. Water control projects’ main legacy will be one of needless ecological destruction, fostering a host of unnecessary injustices.

The estimated 800,000 dams in the world can’t be blamed for destroying the earth’s entire biological inheritance, but they play an outsized role in that destruction. Cracked: The Future of Dams in a Hot, Crazy World is a kind of speed date with the history of water control — its dams, diversions and canals, and just as importantly, the politics and power …

The ugly truth about dams is about to be revealed.

During the first two decades of the twenty-first century, the whole messy truth about the legacy of last century’s big dam building binge has come to light. What started out as an arguably good government project has drifted oceans away from that original virtuous intent. Governments plugged the nation’s rivers in a misguided attempt to turn them into revenue streams. Water control projects’ main legacy will be one of needless ecological destruction, fostering a host of unnecessary injustices.

The estimated 800,000 dams in the world can’t be blamed for destroying the earth’s entire biological inheritance, but they play an outsized role in that destruction. Cracked: The Future of Dams in a Hot, Crazy World is a kind of speed date with the history of water control — its dams, diversions and canals, and just as importantly, the politics and power that evolved with them. Examples from the American West reveal that the costs of building and maintaining a sprawling water storage and delivery complex in an arid world—growing increasingly arid under the ravages of climate chaos—is well beyond the benefits furnished. Success stories from Patagonia and the Blue Heart of Europe point to a possible future where rivers run free and the earth restores itself.

2 editions

Phil in SF reviewed Cracked by Steven Hawley

A polemic for the already convinced

3 stars

The author proffers that dams are the cause of earthquakes, nuclear proliferation & radiation poisoning, and the devastation of wildlife and culture. He's not wrong exactly, but he presents everything from the worst possible case position while also arguing that dam benefits are meager at best. In other words, if you are already convinced, this book will solidify your position. And if you are worried about dams but not already convinced, you'll have a lot of "but what about ...?" type questions that you want answered. As I did.

The book is clearly written for the already convinced, because it includes a chapter on how to remove a dam. The chapter includes lengthy steps all the way from first organizing to actual dam removal. As an overview of just how much work goes into dam removal, it's a great chapter. As an actual how-to, people will need a lot more …

The author proffers that dams are the cause of earthquakes, nuclear proliferation & radiation poisoning, and the devastation of wildlife and culture. He's not wrong exactly, but he presents everything from the worst possible case position while also arguing that dam benefits are meager at best. In other words, if you are already convinced, this book will solidify your position. And if you are worried about dams but not already convinced, you'll have a lot of "but what about ...?" type questions that you want answered. As I did.

The book is clearly written for the already convinced, because it includes a chapter on how to remove a dam. The chapter includes lengthy steps all the way from first organizing to actual dam removal. As an overview of just how much work goes into dam removal, it's a great chapter. As an actual how-to, people will need a lot more than a book chapter.

Subjects

Nature