VIDEO: Damming Patagonia's Rivers
In the watersheds of Chilean Patagonia, there is a struggle between energy development and conservation.
A hydroelectric project called HidroAysén could put five dams on the Baker and Pascua Rivers. To transmit the energy they create, about 1,000 miles of old-growth forest would be cleared to make way for transmission lines.
But this isn't a clear story of good versus evil. Chile is in desperate need of electricity development; however the construction of the dams and transmission lines would undoubtedly affect the area's environment.
A group of kayakers and filmmakers will go to the Aysen region of Patagonia to investigate the story, and paddle some of Chile's best waterways in the process. To learn more about or donate to their documentary project, visit the Somos del Rio Community Funded page.