A key part of this circuit is that the success of the anti-dam movement in Thailand did not curb electricity demand, but instead pushed dam construction across borders. While Thai NGOs continue to fight against these dams, without changes in the Lao government their advocacy will fall on deaf ears. Indeed, the case demonstrates how national borders can facilitate environmental exploitation and diminish the possibilities of building effective political coalitions. A deeper understanding of the complex and competing topographies of resource extraction, environmental transformation, and political activism is necessary for understanding the nature of accelerating environmental shifts.