when the rent is overdue, the parents are over wrought, when the mortgage is maddening and the kids are screaming, a windmill and a solar panel look like a fairy tale and you'd better not mention cutting back on the only thing they can afford—big macs and cheap chines junk.

that's why we must get through the economic blanket to warm up the subject of global warming. too many are hidding their heads under the only covers they know.

slow and easy, don't scare the natives too badly.

What about the salmon? We are facing another fishing closure here in CA, and the dams are definitely to blame, as well as global warming. I like the idea of step dams, and it really makes sense; however, when you dam a river, there are environmental consequences in other forms than CO2. I don't know what the solution is, but hydro power is good on small scales (it's how I power my off-the-grid home from our creek).

Be realistic, you should be adding capacity to the hydro system not tearing it down. IT is CO2 free, continual reliable renewable power generation and capacity wise one the best options on the table. I say step dam all existing projects and you can almost triple capacity.

Step dams are inceasing smaller generators reusing the outflow from the previous station the re-power another turbine. Like recycling the potential energy of the water.