> however people forget to mention that gravity is a zero-sum game. every area that is being rendered unusable upstream results in creation of new area downstream.
What? The area taken up by artificial bodies of water is not a zero-sum game. If you build a reservoir which is as large or larger in area as the whole river downstream - conceivably possible in some cases - the river downstream does not vanish or become negative area.
Flood control brought by dams may make the waterways downstream behave differently and lose area, but those impacts aren't all positive either (ecologically or economically).
It may be true that damage caused by hydro-electrical plants is very often blown out of proportion, but I don't follow your logic regarding the areas at all.
What? The area taken up by artificial bodies of water is not a zero-sum game. If you build a reservoir which is as large or larger in area as the whole river downstream - conceivably possible in some cases - the river downstream does not vanish or become negative area.
Flood control brought by dams may make the waterways downstream behave differently and lose area, but those impacts aren't all positive either (ecologically or economically).
It may be true that damage caused by hydro-electrical plants is very often blown out of proportion, but I don't follow your logic regarding the areas at all.