April 6, 2015
California, Letters

Destroying the desert for ‘green’ energy

Los Angeles Times | April 6, 2015 | www.latimes.com

Industrial-scale wind farms have the significant environmental impact of killing thousands of birds every year. They mar the vast vistas and scenic views that draw tourists who visit our deserts from the world over. (“An unnecessary delay for Mojave Desert renewable energy plan,” editorial, April 1)

Industrial-scale solar development scrapes the entire site bare, destroying the natural vegetation and animal habitat including land needed for the endangered desert tortoise. Visually, a solar farm is no different than paving over a 40-acre site and parking junked cars at the same angle to catch the sun.

There are better ways to provide green energy. There are millions of usable acres available in cities for solar and wind development, including unused or abandoned industrial property for wind energy, and industrial, office and commercial rooftops, parking lots, school grandstands and private homes for solar development.

Let’s exhaust all these options first before looking to the desert to solve our energy needs. But then the “green energy” corporations will not be able to reap the windfall (pun intended) profits that they desire.

Edward Gala, Yucca Valley


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2015/04/06/destroying-the-desert-for-green-energy/