Comments on: Collateral Damage: What the N&O missed about gas drilling

By: Lisa

Lisa — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 13:35:20 +0000

There are many reports, including many by non profit groups who have contracted with experts, to show what is possible with renewable energy, if we put both our feet into it. here’s one example of what’s possible:
http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/en/campaigns/global-warming-and-energy/energyrevolution/

This report shows how by 2050 renewable energy could provide approximately 88 percent of our overall primary energy demand in the US, and create about 1.1 million jobs in the renewables sector alone by 2030.

Why is it that Cape Wind took so many years to gain approval but fracking is a booming industry? It is because our nation’s laws and regulations favor fossil fuels period.

By: Alex

Alex — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 18:29:46 +0000

How can you say that wind power is a viable option when it recently took 9 years to get a project approved in Massachusetts, and there is still a controversy going on ? There are huge transmission problems with wind not even including environmental issues. My point is that we are being foolishly optimistic if we think alternative sources could even reach 20% of our energy needs in the next 15 years.We simply don’t have the investment capital available to subsidize this effort.

By: Cat Warren

Cat Warren — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 15:21:14 +0000

I also would point out Paul Krugman’s hopeful, excellent opinion piece on this issue in Monday’s NY Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/07/opinion/krugman-here-comes-solar-energy.html?_r=1&src=me&ref=general

He not only covers fracking and its discontents nicely, but shows the fast-advancing solar technologies we might put in fracking’s place:

“These days, mention solar power and you’ll probably hear cries of “Solyndra!” Republicans have tried to make the failed solar panel company both a symbol of government waste — although claims of a major scandal are nonsense — and a stick with which to beat renewable energy.

But Solyndra’s failure was actually caused by technological success: the price of solar panels is dropping fast, and Solyndra couldn’t keep up with the competition. In fact, progress in solar panels has been so dramatic and sustained that, as a blog post at Scientific American put it, “there’s now frequent talk of a ‘Moore’s law’ in solar energy,” with prices adjusted for inflation falling around 7 percent a year.”

By: Lisa

Lisa — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 14:30:24 +0000

Alex

Over the past few months I have written with many ideas for alternatives to dirty fossil fuel development and nuclear power. NC has huge potential in energy efficiency and renewable energy, especially offshore wind. But precious time is lost while we debate and investigate whether we should be drilling for oil offshore and natural gas on land and continue our fossil fuel dependency. Climate change is upon us and the time to act is NOW.
here’s a few of those recent entries –

http://pulse.ncpolicywatch.org/2011/04/25/cleanenergyfuture/

http://pulse.ncpolicywatch.org/2011/05/20/retirement-plan-for-king-coal/

http://pulse.ncpolicywatch.org/2011/09/28/what-would-wangari-maathai-do/

By: Alex

Alex — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 01:03:04 +0000

The problem with your article Lisa is that you condemn the process, but offer no alternatives to our energy needs.Coal is essentially being shut down, nuclear has storage problems,most domestic oil drilling has stopped, and we can ill afford to be dependent on Mid-East oil with the instability in that region. Green energy is a mere pittance of our energy needs, and we lack both the investment capital and the time necessary to develop it, and get through the regulation process.We are quickly going down a path where we will simply run out of enough energy, or will be held hostage by other countries. Either alternative will be catastrophic.

By: Rob Schofield

Rob Schofield — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 21:11:17 +0000

Thanks, Lisa. Very helpful…and sobering.