China's Three Gorges Dam is one step closer to being fully operational today. Chinese engineers blew up a temporary dam holding back the waters of the mighty Yangtzee River, allowing the river to reach its full height, more than 500 feet, behind the dam. The dam - a highly controversial project that has been many years in the making - will not be totally operational for three more years, but construction was completed last month.

Hydroelectric power is falling out of favor in the West, and providers of hydro are beginning to weigh the environmental costs of some dams against the economic benefits. According to a