January 9, 2014
Letters, Maine

Wind data

Bangor Daily News | Posted Jan. 08, 2014 | bangordailynews.com

Philip Conkling has nicely penned another pro-wind piece, but he omits the carbon debt that must be tallied before any serious discussion of environmental benefits of wind turbines can begin. The turbines do not begin on a mountain or in the ocean. Their roots are in the rare earth mines of Baiyun Obo in China.

Fueled by coal, the heavy industry of China has moved the country into the No. 1 position for carbon dioxide emissions. How much of that is due to building turbines, towers and electronics for the wind fad in the U.S.? How much diesel fuel is burned by the ships transporting the wind parts to our shores at one gallon per foot? Who is adding up the trucking and construction emissions? How about the maintenance? How much energy do the wind turbines use?

If we are serious about reducing emissions we need real solutions arrived at by studying empirical data. True, the future can’t vote, but we can learn from the past. It tells us that industry needs to be heavily regulated, whether wind, oil or natural gas. They will not do it themselves.

Mike DiCenso

Lincoln


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2014/01/09/wind-data/