Interior moves to develop solar on public lands; environmentalists doth protest

[Valin]

Hot Air: Erika Johnsen

9/13/12

 

To begin: There are multiple different types of people who fall under the category of “environmentalists.” There are the vaguely green-loving, usually urban-dwelling, smugly ‘hip’ types who accept the latest eco-trends (like electric cars and hemp grocery bags and wind energy) as automatic wisdom from on high without doing any research or critical thinking of their own; there are the grungy, hardcore, sometimes borderline violent activists just looking for something to believe in who get just a little too involved in their chosen environmental groups; and then there are the rent-seeking, power-mongering, lobbying, crony-corporatist types who’ve realized that the western world’s governments’ various decisions to prop up politically-favored technologies (usually in order to appeal to voters of the first environmental-ilk I mentioned) presents a major opportunity, among others. I don’t have any doubt that there are plenty of greenies who honestly want to make the world a better, cleaner place (and I’m all for any type of renewable energy that can survive the test of free-market competition, huzzah!), and I’m sure that there are many scientists, academics, and environmental groups with the best of intentions. But there’s plenty about the mainstream environmental movement that teaches people how to not think for themselves — and don’t make the mistake of thinking that it’s somehow nobler and more immune from politics than other industries, ’cause there’s plenty of money to be had in it.

 

The Obama administration has catered to and courted this large tent of environmental voters with their various Energy Department loan-guarantee programs and their arbitrary emissions standards, and I’ve made no secret of my disdain for the Department of Interior, as their bureaucracy’s many inefficiencies, oversights, and backwards policies are single-handedly responsible for a huge heap of environmental degradation. In particular, it’s pretty galling that the Interior Department under Obama has steadily denied a whole mess of permits for oil-and-gas drilling on federal land to government-sponsored solar farms. [url=Human Events reports, however, that at least some environmentalists aren’t actually too keen on that idea:

 

But several environmental groups led by the Western Lands Project (WLP) filed a protest with the Interior Department on Aug. 24 calling the plan “deficient,” citing evidence they say suggests that disturbing the soil will release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

 

“No scientific evidence has been presented to support the claim that these projects reduce greenhouse emissions,” the WLP said. “Indeed, recent evidence suggests that the opposite may be true. Recent work at the Center for Conservation Biology, University of California, Riverside, suggests that soil disturbance from large-scale solar development may disrupt Pleistocene-era caliche deposits that release carbon to the atmosphere when exposed to the elements,” negating any solar development gains. …

 

“By converting public lands to industrial energy factories in fragile, remote areas with massive requirements for transmission at great cost to ratepayers and the environment, our renewable energy policy is taking the least enlightened path possible, while attempting to create the illusion of innovation and progress,” WLP said.

 

(Snip)

[Pepper]

@Valin

 

The envirowackos should jump on this.

 

Giant wind turbines in the deserts, each with a solar powered mirror below, powering a large grill below. As condors, hawks, gulls and eagles hit the fan blades of the turbines the birds will be plucked clean and fall to the awaiting grills.

[clearvision]

@Valin

 

The envirowackos should jump on this.

 

Giant wind turbines in the deserts, each with a solar powered mirror below, powering a large grill below. As condors, hawks, gulls and eagles hit the fan blades of the turbines the birds will be plucked clean and fall to the awaiting grills.

Best idea I've heard in ages!

[Valin]

@Valin

 

The envirowackos should jump on this.

 

Giant wind turbines in the deserts, each with a solar powered mirror below, powering a large grill below. As condors, hawks, gulls and eagles hit the fan blades of the turbines the birds will be plucked clean and fall to the awaiting grills.

Best idea I've heard in ages!

 

LUNCH!

[Pepper]

@Valin

 

Condor Grillz R us

[Valin]

@Valin

 

Condor Grillz R us

 

[Pepper]

That Truck uses carbon.... Bad bad bad

[pollyannaish]

That Truck uses carbon.... Bad bad bad

 

Mmmm. Carbon-ation!

[clearvision]

That Truck uses carbon.... Bad bad bad

 

Mmmm. Carbon-ation!

Unless you are in NY City and now you can only have small doses of carbonation...

[pollyannaish]

That Truck uses carbon.... Bad bad bad

 

Mmmm. Carbon-ation!

Unless you are in NY City and now you can only have small doses of carbonation...

 

I just read the funniest thread on FB about that. A bunch of committed liberals arguing about the big soda ban. It dissolved into insults, much like FR or DU. I enjoyed that.