A group of people opposing a proposed solar farm in a nearby township was on the local news tonight. I find these people incredibly annoying. Unless they are living in homes that are completely off the grid, they are using electricity. It has to be produced. Oil? Fracking for gas? Nuclear power? Burning trees? We don’t have any geo-thermal around here, so that is out. Hydro usually requires large dams.
Solar and wind power are both clean. Both contribute little to global warming. They don’t require water. They don’t produce long-term radioactive waste. They don’t poison underground aquifers. They don’t emit particulates. They don’t produce air pollution.
Oh wait. They don’t look attractive. Wow.
What I'm opposed to is cutting down forests to build solar farms. There are plenty
ReplyDelete. . . plenty of vacant properties that could be used for that purpose.
ReplyDeleteI am fairly sure this particular solar array was planned for a field. I do agree with you that cutting down trees for solar panels is not the way to go.
ReplyDeleteThe one in Kidder Township will involve the removal of a forest. Is the field is green, even that, town extent, will eliminate some greenhouse gasses, and provide habitat for wildlife.
ReplyDeleteSolar panels do degrade over 20-25 years. Recycling companies can recycle some of the materials but not the toxic lead & cadmium Tharp is used
ReplyDeleteEvery form of energy production has some drawbacks. What we need to decide is which are better and which are worse. For many years I opposed nuclear power because we didn't know how to handle the waste. Now, given the rapid increase in temperatures, I'd say it is better than coal-fired plants.
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