Climate activism leading to unreliable electrical grid, destruction of jobs and landscape
Editor:
It is alarming to witness the electrical grid collapse that occurred recently in Texas due to extreme, but not unprecedented weather conditions. Bad energy policy and short sightedness and lack of leadership led to this.
Our most energy rich state could not supply reliable, uninterrupted power to its citizens when it was needed most. All forms of energy – natural gas, coal, wind and solar – fell victim to the cold. Residents were subjected to third-world conditions as they attempted to cope with this disaster. Many lives were lost.
Maintaining and improving reliable forms of energy were neglected and gave way to investing in hopelessly unreliable forms. Texas has the most installed industrial wind capacity in the country and this investment was clearly misguided. Warren Buffet has proposed a very practical solution, i.e. back up with natural gas fired power plants.
This is a wakeup call to climate activists and their extreme, emotional, politically motivated devotion to “renewables” and their war on all forms of fossil fuels. Our future is being gambled on the fickleness of the weather and continued heavy government subsidies. More of the same is not a solution.
According to Governor Cuomo, “New York leads the way” with heavy promotion of industrial solar and wind projects while at the same time sacrificing home rule and the reliability of our electrical grid. The 70 by 30 goal stipulated in the State Community Benefit Act is an unrealistic political goal. Where is the science that backs this objective?
Making matters worse, the current New York State budget negotiations include RPTL 575b that will strip local taxing authority for renewable energy projects and give it to Albany Bureaucrats. The assault on the citizens of New York State and their freedom continues unabated by big government in conjunction with big business.
The future holds more “Texas Tragedies” unless politics takes a back seat to science. As an example, carbon dioxide is an integral part of a scientific process that supports life and should not be viewed as harmful.
Green growing organisms ingest carbon dioxide, sequester the carbon and spew out oxygen to the atmosphere. An activity that destroys grasslands, wetlands and forests is counterproductive to “saving our planet.” Witness the tens of thousands of acres being impacted by Industrial solar and wind projects.
The Nature Conservancy has done much scientific research on this subject and this research should be heeded. Other approaches to cleaning up our planet such as conservation of resources, use of clean burning natural gas, sustainable forestry practices, and carbon capture, must be in our energy mix to insure its cleanliness and reliability.
Further, the Climate Change Movements’ collateral damage is immeasurable. In the process of “saving the planet” industries are being disrupted and destroyed involving tens of thousands of jobs.
The petroleum and automotive industries are excellent example of this carnage. Where is organized labor when we face such a frightful disruption in the labor market? E-cars anyone? Without government subsidies there is no market for them. Further where will the funds come from to repair our transportation infrastructure when all the expensive, subsidized e-cars pay no fuel tax?
Climate Activism is leading us to an economic and social catastrophe. The” Texas Tragedy” is an excellent example of where we are headed. Solar and wind power are not a solution. A policy that includes a mix of our most reliable forms of energy must prevail. Our grandchildren deserve no less.
James C Hoffman
Somerset
