Steve Hawley, author of "Cracked: The Future of Dams in a Hot, Chaotic World," will explore the ramifications of the extraordinary dam building boom of the last century that culminated in 800,000 dams worldwide today. What impact are they having on biodiversity loss, heat buildup and aridification of the land? Hawley is joined in conversation by author and essayist David James Duncan and Beth Lambert, Director of the Division of Ecological Restoration in Massachusetts.
Resources
"Cracked" by Steve Hawley
Steve Hawley's film on salmon and dams
American Rivers Dam Removal Map
Methane Emissions from Reservoirs
Article on indigenous people and their fight to save the lower Snake river
"DamNation: The Problem with Hydropower," by Patagonia Films
Steven Hawley is a writer and filmmaker from Hood River, Oregon. His first book, Recovering a Lost River, (Beacon Press, 2011) examined the nascent science and activism around dam removal in the United States. In 2019, he co-produced Dammed to Extinction, a documentary about the plight of salmon-eating killer whales who ply the waters of the Pacific off the coast of Washington state. His latest book, Cracked: the Future of Dams in a Hot, Chaotic World, is forthcoming from Patagonia Books in May of 2023.
David James Duncan is an American novelist and essayist, best known for his two bestselling novels, The River Why and The Brothers K. Both novels received the Pacific Northwest Booksellers award; The Brothers K was a New York Times Notable Book in 1992 and won a Best Books Award from the American Library Association. His other works include short story collection _River Teeth, memoir-of-sorts My Story As Told By Water, and God Laughs and Plays: Churchless Sermons in Response to the Preachments of the Fundamentalist Right._
Beth Lambert is the Director of the Massachusetts Division of Ecological Restoration (DER), part of the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game. She oversees a 30-person agency whose mission is to restore and protect rivers, wetlands, and watersheds for the benefit of people and the environment. DER staff work in partnership with communities, landowners, non-profit organizations, and state and federal agencies on projects that restore habitat and help people and nature adapt to climate change. Over the last 15 years, the Division has removed 60 dams in partnership with federal, state, municipal, and NGO organizations. Beth has 20 years of experience with river and watershed restoration in Oregon, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts.