Recently I listened to a dialogue from Mark Mills from the Manhattan Institute who discussed the various sources of power being utilized along with the trendy turbines, solar panels and batteries. Allegedly, it would take 500 years to build enough batteries to create one day of electricity. He also talked about the physics reality and limitations to solar panels which only capture/create a 26 per cent efficiency and 60 per cent for wind turbines.
The fact is, both are mostly made of non-recyclable materials and all have life time limits. Currently turbines provide less than three per cent of world's energy and the subsidies to such firms are in the multiple millions. If we get to car batteries, some of them may weigh up to 1/2 ton – again needing disposal at some juncture. According to him, the waste from solar panels alone would equate to twice that of all of plastic of today. To obtain minerals for batteries, much of the material needed will come from outside of North America and probably mined by workers with no protection. In addition, to obtain the minerals they need for batteries, they may enter areas that were once considered pristine wilderness.
He goes on to say that producing oil in our standard way is more economical that that of any other methodology (using wind turbines). I fail to understand why the media does not support our oil and gas industry in the proper manner and they tend jump on the bandwagons of a greener world – usually with little long term thought.
I also want our children's children to breathe clean air and have healthy environment, however, it would be much easier, and more beneficial if they just continue to reduce carbon emissions as they have been doing over the years. I would be more confident in that path traveled than the one proposed by "the green people" and tree huggers.
Further, I would suggest they listen to the message from Mr. Mills which they can look up on the internet. I also fail to understand why our Prime Minister continues to shut down our oil and gas industry when everything he is proposing to do will cost taxpayers more money and the impact on the environment will be much harsher. As he so aptly described the search for "unobtainium" is preposterous.
A.I. Smith, St. Albert
