Hydroelectric power makes more greenhouse gases than equivalent fossil 
fuelled generation

           http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn7046

Or so they claim.

I personally find the claims dubious.
The portion of the assumption set listed is suspect.
The main claims are that

1.    CO2 is made from destruction of biomass submerged when the hydro 
lake is formed.

2.    Methane forms when remaining material falls to bottom.

3.    Annual cycling of lake levels grows and then destroys ongoing 
biomass and produces methane..

Methane is a far more significant greenhouse gas volume for volume 
than CO2.

I wonder whether due consideration has been given to the growth and 
death of foliage on surfaces which aren't submerged. I suspect that 
most surfaces have a plant growth and death rate similar to what they 
would have if submerged cyclically. Arguably the permanently submerged 
surface will produce less GHGs long term as they are not growing 
vegetation which then dies, often annually.



        RM

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