Government Vs. Government on Energy

One might think, in theory at least, that taking action to save the planet would be good for the birds that have to live in it. Then again, one might think that disallowing an action that might unnecessarily kill birds would also be good for the planet.

But, what is one supposed to feel about an action contemplated by climate friendly planners, in an attempt to save the planet, when that action might end up killing the birds preemptively?

Muskegon County's effort to "go green" is running up against an unlikely foe: the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which says the county's proposal to erect wind turbines would endanger birds.

Jennifer Granholm's next generation energy solutions and the jobs of tomorrow that depend upon them, are coming under increasing scrutiny by environmentalists and concerned citizens wherever they are proposed.

Large solar farms wreak havoc upon the locations where they are installed, are fitfully inconsistent, present difficult transmission problems, demand huge public subsidies, and the solar panel manufacturing process produces huge amounts of toxins.

Wind farms are eyesores, endanger birds and bats, present transmission problems, produce inconsistently, demand huge public subsidies for implementation, and swallow huge amounts of energy in the manufacturing process.

Advanced battery technology is expensive, does not bypass the energy production stage, and continues America's reliance on unstable foreign regimes for energy commodities.

Ethenol? I'm not even going to get into that again.

We know how unpopular coal plants are. We know too that Obama has effectively choked off any increase in domestic oil drilling for at least several more years. While there is the hint of some movement in the nuclear energy arena, it is a very highly subsidized way of producing energy and any new plants that ever come on line in the next few decades will not compensate for those aging reactors that will go offline.

So, if we are unable to rely on legacy energy sources because of their environmental impacts, and we are unable to rely on the next-gen fragments of an overall mosaic energy solution because of seagulls, tortoises and snail darters, what will we be able to depend on to provide a long term energy solution?

Don't worry, I'm certain that someone from the government is working on it.