Your Simple Help Needed

By John Droz, Jr.

A US federal agency, the Fish and Wildlife Service, is currently debating whether or not there will be national wildlife rules for industrial wind energy, and if yes, what they will be.

At stake is this: if they adopt strict mandatory rules, it could severely restrict wind energy in every state in the country.

For the first time, this agency is asking for public input.

Send your comments in a simple email to "windenergy@fws.gov".     They will only be accepted until August 4, 2011. 

If you want to wade through the technical details (not necessary) look at <<http://www.fws.gov/windenergy/>>.

 

The gist of the debate is that AWEA and the wind industry want loose, voluntary, guidelines. Citizens concerned about the environment are asking for tight, mandatory, rules. 

We are also advocating that a wind developer make a substantial upfront payment ($5000± per turbine) for the state/federal government to hire independent experts to assess wildlife impacts. (Right now the developer hires his own experts, so you can guess what they conclude.) 

Please submit something to the USF&W on this most important issue — and pass this request on to your email list contacts.

If we could get 1000+ people sending in sensible comments, that could have a powerful impact.

So this is something free, simple, and could be influential in your community. Please do it today!

regards,

john droz, jr.

physicist and environmental advocate

Some Recent Energy & Environmental News

By John Droz, Jr.

This is the current issue of my informal, free collection of recent electrical energy-related developments. Since citizens are daily inundated with material coming out on this topic, I am trying to present a digest summary of the most pertinent applicable information. My bias is for articles that are: scientific, independent, informative, constructive, and/or well-written. (I would STRONGLY recommend that you SAVE these, as you might need links to some good articles in the future.)

At last count there are over 4000 readers of the newsletter. If there are some other open-minded people you think would like this newsletter feel free to pass it on — or provide me with their email addresses and I will include them in the future.

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What this translates to is that the policy statement of any true environmental organization should be the following:

    1)  We believe that we have environmental and energy issues, and

    2)  We believe that these matters should be resolved by applying the Scientific Method.

 

The Scientific Method consists of a comprehensive, objective, independent, transparent and empirical-based assessment. Anything less would amount to promoting a political policy rather than a science oriented one. Citizens should insist on nothing less from organizations they belong to.

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Just for anyone who wasn’t sure about my New Year's message, the Stella awards appear to be fictitious. My intention for passing on those was to provide a little humor in our otherwise rather serious dealings. Thank you for the hundreds of positive feedbacks that were sent.

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My “Jane Talks About Energy” series of videos is in the process of being translated into several different languages. Here is the French version <<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWW6Hk73CUk&hd=1>>. Thanks to Dominic Mette and EPAW for this fine effort. (The English versions are on my website WindpowerFacts.Info.)

I would like to have had some additional videos done by now, but have been overwhelmed with a LOT of other projects. A video about nuclear power is in progress.

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“Know The Facts Before You Sign” is a fine brochure that attempts to educate farmers who are potential turbine leaseholders to some of the adverse consequences of such an arrangement <<http://www.informedfarmers.org/Images/IFC%20FactSheet.pdf>>. I have long since held that the land owners are the weak link in the chain — and MUCH more attention should be focussed on that.

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Some articles about the economics of Wind Energy — 

Another excellent financial analysis by Glenn Schleede “False claims that ‘wind farms’ provide large economic and job benefits” <<http://www.masterresource.org/2011/01/false-wind-claims/>>

Yet another study (this one in Texas) concludes that the Green Jobs claims are way overblown <<http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/bus/industries/energy/stories/DN-taxbreaks_20tex.ART.State.Edition1.7e0102.html>>.

“The Wind Subsidy Bubble” talks about the high cost of wind energy: <<http://online.wsj.com/article/SB20001424052748703395204576023820064646268.html>>.

A good story about electricity rates going way up due to renewables <<http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2010/12/rates_set_to_jump_for_pacific.html>>.

The Rhode Island manufacturers Association filed a brief with the state Supreme Court against an offshore wind agreement <<http://www.projo.com/business/content/COMMERCE_DIGEST_22_12-22-10_7QLJIPG_v13.323fe87.html>>.

Here is a good story about homeowners holding out for the wind developers to buy their property — and succeeding very well <<http://www.eastoregonian.com/news/local_news/article_2e8dfa2e-10e2-11e0-9076-001cc4c002e0.html>>.

CBS 60 Minutes story about the significant debts that most states are experiencing, maybe that sets the stage for a second thought about funding developers who are making 25% annual profits. PLEASE WATCH THIS! <<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nP3b0_fnPxQ&hd=1>>. Nowhere does it mention cutting the funding for renewables, but we should use this opportunity to make that point!

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The analysis “Energy Independence by 2020” is on the mark <<http://wattsupwiththat.com/2011/01/01/us-energy-independence-by-2020/>>

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Wind Energy is a net energy loss <<http://westinstenv.org/sosf/2010/12/22/wind-solar-ethanol-net-energy-balance-negative/>>.

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“Turbines and Turbulence” discusses some interesting aspects of wind projects <<http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v468/n7327/full/4681001a.html>>.

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The Buffalo Evening News editorial is good in endorsing nuclear power <<http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial-page/buffalo-news-editorials/article294027.ece.>>

For those concerned about the effects of radiation, here is another story about the medical benefits of radiation <<http://opinion.financialpost.com/2010/12/23/saving-life-and-limb/>>. 

And another related post about the false assumption that more radiation is necessarily bad <<http://opinion.financialpost.com/2010/12/02/lawrence-solomon-the-apples-and-oranges-of-radiation%C2%A0/>>.

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“China has seen the future, and it is coal” — not wind energy. This George Will article puts things in perspective: <<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/29/AR2010122902899.html>>.

And this announcement of  more energy advances by China, this time in nuclear power. They are moving ahead while we are dithering <<http://hamsayeh.net/world/193-china-announces-nuclear-fuel-processing-breakthrough.html>>.

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Many environmentalists’ new reality: Clean Coal <<http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2010/12/dirty-coal-clean-future/8307/1/>>.

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A revealing article about how incompetent the Danish energy program is <<http://opinion.financialpost.com/2010/12/05/lawrence-solomon-the-7-billion-carbon-scam/>>.

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It’s good that the American Bird Conservancy organization is speaking out about wind turbines’ adverse effects on birds <<http://www.abcbirds.org/newsandreports/releases/101229.html>>.

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Hypertension may be yet another wind turbine related medical consequence. See 

<<http://www.windturbinesyndrome.com/news/2010/blood-pressures-elevating-dangerously-after-nighttime-wind-turbine-exposure-australia/>>.

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An Oregon newspaper comes out against wind energy

 <<http://www.democratherald.com/news/opinion/editorial/article_28e1993e-1757-11e0-a015-001cc4c03286.html?mode=story>>.

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This is about the first Tidal Power company to be connected to the national grid <<http://tinyurl.com/2uhmn2f>>.

The Putting Some Balance To It Department —

This NYT article comments on the Energy Department’s recently released energy forecast, which said (among other things) “And even without a national global warming law, American carbon dioxide emissions will not inexorably set new records; they will stay below the rate of 2005 for the next 15 years because of economic forces.” <<http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/16/the-energy-future-aint-what-it-used-to-be/>>.

Another scientific study indicating that there are other things than CO2 that can cause “Global Warming” — this time stream runoff 

<<http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101220150944.htm>>.

“Dust Study Raises Questions Concerning Warming Models 

<<http://www.dailytech.com/Dust+Study+May+Invalidate+Most+Warming+Modeling+Work+Done+to+Date/article20516.htm>>.

Due to new developments, NASA publicly admits that there is a lot going on with the sun that they do not understand. Considering that the sun is intimately connected with “global warming” this is a significant admission: <<http://www.suite101.com/content/vast-solar-eruption-shocks-nasa-and-raises-doubts-on-sun-theory-a327330>>.

I forgot whether or not I had posted a link to Dr. A. Neil Hutton’s extensive series on debunking AGW. If not, here it is 

<<http://friendsofginandtonic.org/page5/page10/assets/hutton%20-%20climate%20change.pdf>>.

“Hot Sensations vs Cold Facts” points out some realities that the mainstream media isn’t promoting 

<<http://www.forbes.com/2010/12/23/media-climate-change-warming-opinions-contributors-larry-bell.html>>.

“Earth Project Aims to Simulate Everything”: be VERY wary! <<http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-12012082>>.

“EPA Rules Will Trump Your Rights” — be very concerned! <<http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysis/Article.aspx?id=558325&p=1>>.

“The Pitfalls of Europe’s New Emission Trading System” is a sober assessment of the problems, costs, and unintended consequences of CO2 restrictions <<http://www.spiegel.de/international/business/0,1518,druck-736798,00.html>>.

A good assessment of the Gulf Oil Spill, where the expert author indicts the media for “hysterical overreaction” and attributes that to the fact that “The media actually relied less on marine biologists and oil spill experts for their information and more on environmental groups”: <<http://www.weeklystandard.com/articles/oil-spill-hysteria_522140.html?nopager=1>>

“An Evangelical Backlash Against Environmentalism” covers an important issue 

<<http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/30/an-evangelical-backlash-against-environmentalism/>>.

Maybe all of our efforts are for naught, considering the end of the planet is now scheduled to be May 21, 2011 

<<http://www.theblaze.com/stories/loose-christian-movement-says-end-of-days-in-may/>>.

The Community Service Department —

The latest form of identity theft: electronically picking your pocket. Watch this video 

<<http://www.wreg.com/videobeta/?watchId=8ba6f8fc-90a2-4711-90ea-1884ec348310>>.

A wealth of good information is at the BillShrink site (credit cards, savings, wireless, etc.) <<https://www.billshrink.com>>. BankRate.com gets a lot of press, but I found better savings and CD rates at <<http://www.DepositAccounts.com/>> and <<http://www.BankingMyWay.com/>>.

Another good quote from Ronald Reagan —

“The taxpayer:  That's someone who works for the federal government but doesn't have to take the civil service examination.”

john droz, jr.

physicist & environmental advocate