By Arthur E. Sowers
Arthur E. Sowers is a resident of Harbeson.
George Roof’s piece on green energy used only arguments that supported his agenda (“The ‘green energy’ scam is pervasive”). I will present a better and more complete set of arguments, which will refute his agenda.
- I would say sprawling subdivisions and commercial development and gaudy billboards right in front of our eyes all the time give us a lot worse aesthetics than wind farm turbines 10-20 miles offshore, where people are looking only a couple of minutes on any day they are at the beach.
- It is a fact that ship engines, propeller cavitation and turbulence, noises from flying aircraft, high-power submarine sonar pings and even noise from thunder also affect marine life. And I have found some studies that find that those noises could be as bad or worse. I did an internet search on “climate change fish migration” and found reports dated almost 10 years ago that said fish were starting to move north to cooler waters because ocean temperatures were rising.
- I did an internet search to estimate the amount of bilge water pumped out of ships on the oceans and waterways. One source said the entire U.S. Navy pumps 90 million gallons of bilge water into the ocean. Oil makes up almost 1 million gallons of that bilge. Calculate for all the ships on the ocean and rethink Roof’s complaint. Also, consider spills from oil tanker leaks and offshore oil platform blowouts.
- Regarding the killing of avian species, studies actually show that it is cats, fast-moving vehicles on roads, flying into windows and buildings, and other factors that kill more birds than wind farms.
- Nuclear plants: 1.) generate radioactive waste that will be around for 100,000 years; 2.) are not economical since construction costs usually go over budget, and construction delays take place; 3.) are good terrorist targets; and 4.) sometimes blow up or melt down. What is “environmentally friendly” is dependent on your point of view.
- As far as the Salem nuclear power plant in New Jersey, the way Roof’s information is presented is misleading. It is true that nuke power is generated continuously, 24/7. But — and I just checked this on the internet — on a dollars-per-megawatt-hour basis, nuclear is $110, solar is $55, and wind is $40. When the sun is up, and the wind is blowing, the fossil fuel power plants can cut back quite a bit, and that is where you get the savings. The other fact is that battery storage, water and air pumps, and gravity storage are being rapidly installed all over the world.
- The facts are: 1.) We will definitely need more electricity soon; 2.) The problem is complex, and I would leave it to the engineers and experts to solve; 3.) Renewable (i.e., “green”) energy is being rapidly put in place all over the world because it is simple, safe, easy, cheaper and fastest to build, and over a decade or two, the change from fossil fuels to renewable energy has delivered high satisfaction with performance and economics; 4.) Any reliance on nuclear energy cannot be assured because there is no track record yet from the new designs; and 5.) Donald Trump’s emphasis on cutting safety regulations will just make new plants more dangerous.
The real “rabid” problem is climate denialism, as discussed in my June 26, 2024, Opinion (“Here is proof that global warming is real”). Also, that climate denialism, as discussed in my Sept. 5, 2023, Opinion, is worse in the USA than anywhere else in the world (“US has more climate deniers than other countries”).
Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at civiltalk@iniusa.org.
