{"id":338971,"date":"2024-08-09T14:56:56","date_gmt":"2024-08-09T12:56:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=338971"},"modified":"2024-08-09T14:56:58","modified_gmt":"2024-08-09T12:56:58","slug":"coming-clean-on-clean-energy-its-a-dirty-business","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=338971","title":{"rendered":"Coming Clean on Clean Energy: It\u2019s a Dirty Business"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Watts Up With That?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Kristen Walker<\/p>\n\n\n\n

August 06, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unless you\u2019ve been living under a rock, you are probably aware of the massive push to transition to green energy. The goal is to have wind and solar replace coal and natural gas; the electric vehicle (EV) will supposedly replace internal combustion engines. Directives are coming from the highest office in the land; the current administration has made green energy a large part of its agenda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are being told that these technologies are clean and will save the planet from climate change. However, these alternative forms of energy being espoused are riddled with their own problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hidden behind the solar panels, wind turbines, and EV batteries are some dirty secrets that get swept under the rug and ignored by climate enthusiasts. Fossil fuels are constantly put under a microscope and condemned as an evil destructive polluter; green energy is typically put on a pedestal. Green energy, however, is not as perfect and wonderful as we are made to believe. Yet, we are putting a lot of trust into these energy sources, without considering their ramifications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The American Consumer Institute just released a report detailing many of the environmental impacts associated with the so-called green energy forms being heavily promoted. The life cycle of all three\u2014the wind turbine, solar panel, and EV battery\u2014involve significant environmental consequences that should not be overlooked and need to be part of the discussion when implementing energy policies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the biggest issues involved with these forms is the extraction and manufacturing processes of various critical minerals that are required for wind turbines, solar panels, and EV batteries. Many underdeveloped nations, where there\u2019s an abundance of minerals, are at risk. The operations and procedures not only overtake land but contaminate surrounding soil and water sources. In the worst cases, this work is accomplished through slave labor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Various toxins and other greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere, where workers and even nearby communities are potentially affected. Landscape is tarnished and various animal habitats are shrinking and\/or experiencing stress. The massive amount of land occupied by both wind and solar may never be recoverable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

China dominates the green energy supply chains, but their environmental standards are subpar. CO2 emissions associated with refineries in China are 1.5 times greater than those in the EU or U.S.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All three energy sources are also creating a huge waste problem. Since any kind of recycling is very limited on a large scale, more than 90% wind turbine blades, solar panels, and EV batteries end up in landfills. By 2050 it is predicted that used turbine blades will exceed 43 million tons of waste worldwide. Solar waste is predicted to be close to 80 million tons. And with the U.S. projecting 33 million EVs on the road by 2030, that is a lot of batteries to end up in landfills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ironically, the same folks who want to charge customers for every plastic bag they use at the grocery store, out of fear of single-use plastics ending up in landfills, don\u2019t seem to have a problem with potentially toxic machinery filling that space instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a penchant for trying to solve one crisis, we are creating others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some of the environmental impacts and hazards posed by green energy are far more detrimental than fossil fuels, and yet the latter is often dismissed. Such risks associated with green technologies should actually be an argument against vigorous pursuit of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each energy source, including fossil fuels, should be considered as part of an all-of-the-above strategy for supplying the necessary energy to power homes, businesses, and the U.S. economy at large. All of them come with some degree of environmental concerns, and each should be weighed and measured\u2014along with costs, logistics, reliability, and geopolitical factors\u2014when developing public policy. Instead of completely trying to phase out fossil fuels, a robust and healthy energy mix ought to be established; we need a balanced approach that does not breed additional problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is past time to come clean on so-called clean energy. The real-life consequences and detrimental effects of it demand more honest conversations and a thoughtful course of action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kristen Walker is a policy analyst for the American Consumer Institute, a nonprofit education and research organization. For more information about the Institute, visit http:\/\/www.theamericanconsumer.org<\/a> or follow us on Twitter @ConsumerPal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This article was originally published by RealClearEnergy and made available via RealClearWire.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Unless you\u2019ve been living under a rock, you are probably aware of the massive push to transition to green energy. The goal is to have wind and solar replace coal and natural gas; the electric vehicle (EV) will supposedly replace internal combustion engines. Directives are coming from the highest office in the land; the current administration has made green energy a large part of its agenda.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121246920,"featured_media":338973,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","_crdt_document":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[691819627,691818056,691818071,691818740,691818412,691818322],"class_list":{"0":"post-338971","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"hentry","7":"category-uncategorized","8":"tag-clean-energy","9":"tag-climate-change","10":"tag-environment","11":"tag-ev-batteries","12":"tag-solar-panels","13":"tag-wind-turbines","15":"fallback-thumbnail"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/0bigstock-View-Of-A-Wind-Turbines-On-Top-355403282.jpg?fit=1600%2C1068&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paxLW1-1qbh","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":305570,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=305570","url_meta":{"origin":338971,"position":0},"title":"Green electricity goals in conflict","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"02\/03\/2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Twenty-three states have adopted\u00a0goals\u00a0to move to 100 percent clean energy by 2050. State governments propose to retire coal- and gas-fired power plants and adopt wind and solar systems. But, these goals conflict with efforts to promote electric vehicles (EVs), electric appliances, and a new rising demand for electric power.","rel":"","context":"In \"coal- and gas-fired power plants\"","block_context":{"text":"coal- and gas-fired power plants","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=coal-and-gas-fired-power-plants"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/OIG-81.jpeg?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/OIG-81.jpeg?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/OIG-81.jpeg?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/OIG-81.jpeg?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":305218,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=305218","url_meta":{"origin":338971,"position":1},"title":"Electric Power vs. Green Goals","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"28\/02\/2024","format":false,"excerpt":"The green energy push seeks to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions to fight human-caused global warming. Leaders tell us that without a complete transformation of electric power, transportation, and home appliances to achieve Net Zero carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, we are doomed to suffer from increasingly severe climate change impacts.","rel":"","context":"In \"CO2\"","block_context":{"text":"CO2","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=co2"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/0download1800x1100.webp?fit=1200%2C733&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/0download1800x1100.webp?fit=1200%2C733&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/0download1800x1100.webp?fit=1200%2C733&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/0download1800x1100.webp?fit=1200%2C733&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/0download1800x1100.webp?fit=1200%2C733&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":360013,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=360013","url_meta":{"origin":338971,"position":2},"title":"What Keeps \u201cEnergy Transition\u201d Going? $ $\u00a0$","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"01\/01\/2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Wind and solar power have provided politicians with an excuse to dispense favours\u2014including taxpayer-funded subsidies and tax preferences to a supposedly \u201cgreen\u201d industry\u2014while appearing to do something for the environment.\u00a0And yet, despite more than\u00a0two decades of massive subsidies, tax preferences\u00a0and purchasing\u00a0mandates\u00a0from governments,\u00a0wind and solar power still\u00a0represent barely more than a\u00a0rounding\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Canada\"","block_context":{"text":"Canada","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=canada"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/0Microgrid-Renewables-scaled-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C600&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/0Microgrid-Renewables-scaled-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C600&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/0Microgrid-Renewables-scaled-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C600&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/0Microgrid-Renewables-scaled-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C600&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/0Microgrid-Renewables-scaled-1.jpg?fit=1200%2C600&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":304225,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=304225","url_meta":{"origin":338971,"position":3},"title":"No reason \u2018Green energy,\u2019 EV batteries should escape carbon tax","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"24\/02\/2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Those eager to tax U.S. and imported hydrocarbon energy products that emit CO2 in order to end many millions of years of climate change should be cautious regarding the \u201cgreen alternatives\u201d they wish for.","rel":"","context":"In \"CO2\"","block_context":{"text":"CO2","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=co2"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/OIG-12.jpg?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/OIG-12.jpg?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/OIG-12.jpg?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/OIG-12.jpg?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":195521,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=195521","url_meta":{"origin":338971,"position":4},"title":"It\u2019s time for transparency of the embedded costs of going \u201cgreen\u201d","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"12\/04\/2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Money to burn concept, one-hundred-dollar bills burning in a toaster The worldwide movement toward the electrification of everything, from intermittent electricity by industrial wind and solar farms, to more electric vehicles, the political actions are supportive of jumping onto the green train, most-likely not knowing\u00a0there is a darker side of\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/0san-francisco-fed-promotes-climate-adaptation-loans.jpg?fit=848%2C565&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/0san-francisco-fed-promotes-climate-adaptation-loans.jpg?fit=848%2C565&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/0san-francisco-fed-promotes-climate-adaptation-loans.jpg?fit=848%2C565&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/0san-francisco-fed-promotes-climate-adaptation-loans.jpg?fit=848%2C565&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":209002,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=209002","url_meta":{"origin":338971,"position":5},"title":"Energy and Environmental Review: July 18, 2022","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"18\/07\/2022","format":false,"excerpt":"By\u00a0John Droz, Jr.\u00a0 Ed. note: This post excerpts energy and climate material from the\u00a0Media Balance Newsletter, a fortnightly published by physicist John Droz Jr., founder of the Alliance for Wise Energy Decisions. The complete\u00a0MBN\u00a0for this post can be found\u00a0here. Renewables (General):***\u00a0Paved with good Intentions***\u00a0Energy Crises In Germany and Texas Are\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/0godzilla-king-of-the-monsters-6.webp?fit=1024%2C576&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/0godzilla-king-of-the-monsters-6.webp?fit=1024%2C576&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/0godzilla-king-of-the-monsters-6.webp?fit=1024%2C576&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/0godzilla-king-of-the-monsters-6.webp?fit=1024%2C576&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/338971","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/121246920"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=338971"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/338971\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":338974,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/338971\/revisions\/338974"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/338973"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=338971"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=338971"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=338971"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}