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I'm wondering if we should even accept the framing of that as "fashion" and not "large-scale action spurred by a rational shared reevaluation of impact"

Totally agree, the hydroelectric juice wasn't worth the squeeze on our ecosystem.

There are fish ladders, at least we have them in Europe along river dams.

When I think about the giant five valley hydroplant in China, the giant Euphrat hydroplant or the giant Nile hydroplant of Aegypt, I think its more the abscence of political force which could move ten thousands of people out of the way.

Fish ladders are completely ineffective [1].

[1] https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/conl....

Mostly smaller dams that were built a long time ago. They would need to be replaced anyways, so just tearing them down and not replacing them is economical and ecological.

But the big ones built in the last 100 years are going to stick around for awhile.

Not because they are less damaging, but because Big Ag has enough influence to keep them in place.