Nov 10, 2008 - 06:44:20 CST
The letter (Nov. 2) by Pete Williams, of the environmental activist group 1Sky, provided a recipe for economic disaster for North Dakotans because his viewpoint was based solely on extreme environmental actions and did not consider economic consequences.He said the federal government should enact policies to avert climate calamities. This is short sighted because if the U.S. goes too far, too fast, American jobs and industries will relocate to countries that have no intention of reducing greenhouse gases.
Williams writes that investments in clean energy would be great for North Dakota's economy. I don't think he considers the higher costs for energy that North Dakotans would pay for alternative sources versus traditional sources. Also, how many jobs are left after a wind farm is built? Seems the turbines may need one or two maintenance hands but nothing like the 4,000 well-paid employees in the state's lignite industry, nor the 24,000 secondary employees who support the mines and plants. Approximately one in 14 jobs in the state is tied to the lignite industry. How many are tied to wind turbines?
His third point the government should cut all subsidies and tax breaks for fossil fuel industries. Technology holds the key to developing zero-emission power plants. Government incentives, coupled with private investments. encourage cost-effective solutions to capturing and storing carbon.
His proposed ban on all coal-based power plants ignores the fact that Americans want a growing economy, built upon domestically produced energy sources. The U.S. has 27 percent of the world's coal reserves. We need to find ways to use our coal more cleanly, not ban its use.
I hope North Dakotans understand that all energies are needed, not just renewables, if we are to continue to grow our economy while protecting the environment. Our state's lignite industry has a proven track record for providing affordable and reliable electricity while reclaiming mined land and keeping the air we breathe the cleanest in the nation.
Vince Beazel wrote on Nov 29, 2008 1:57 PM:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/920539@N24/discuss/72157610432235572/ "
Pete Williams wrote on Nov 10, 2008 5:20 PM:
Grosz ignores the deadly consequences of burning dirty lignite coal. Can giving children asthma be justified? What about chronic heart, lung, and kidney diseases? Mercury in our waters?
We need to fight global warming immediately, and building new coal plants that create the pollution is not the answer. Inaction, not action, is short-sighted. Worldwide, we face more super-storms, cities going underwater, and increased communicable diseases. In North Dakota our farmers are threatened by drought and flash-floods. This will wreak havoc on our economy AND our lives.
As for carbon sequestration, if viable technology can be developed at some point, it would be acceptable to build these plants (my original article calls for a ban on plants that produce global warming pollution) but our tax money is better spent on proven renewables and efficiency. "
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