One of the most reliable forms of renewable electricity generation is hydro. Create a dam, and then make electricity when ever you release the water from behind it. However, there are clearly places where this is not going to be good for the environment.
If the river that is dammed is running through a forest, then the flooding will cover the rainforest. What happens then? Well all the carbon that is stored in the trees, and the ground is released back into the air.
Indeed, this is such an issue, that some dams far from being carbon neutral, can be more polluting than running a coal power plant for hundreds of years.
This is the problem with the Belo Monte Dam, in Brazil. The company Notre Energy is currently undergoing a serious effort to whitewash its behavior, however this must not be allowed. This effort was set off by a letter that they sent to the New York times. In it they lay out the position on the ground as favorably as is possible. Unfortunately, in order to do this, they lie through there teeth.
They claim to have good environmental outcomes, tribal buy in and to obey international conventions.
The Trump administration has recently left office, yet it seems the absurd “alternative facts” claim is not going to be allowed to die with the Trump administration.
Facts are facts, there are no alternatives. Indeed the phrase alternative facts was coined by one of Donald Trumps press secretaries during a rare appearance. The alternative to a fact is not an alternative fact, it is a falsehood – either in part or in full.
to read more have a look at the mongobay article on this subject https://news.mongabay.com/2021/02/brazils-belo-monte-dam-greenwashing-contested-commentary/
