Environmentalists Oppose Mojave Desert Solar Power
Written By: Penny Rodriguez
Published In: Environment & Climate News Publication Date: 09/01/2009
Environmental groups advocating for land conservation and protection of endangered species are lining up in opposition to measures to expedite solar energy projects on federal lands, particularly in the Mojave Desert, announced by Interior Department Secretary Ken Salazar on June 29, 2009.
Loss of Water and Habitat
With solar power plants having a much larger footprint and demanding more water for power generation than traditional power plants require, battle lines between environmental activist groups are being drawn in the desert sand.
http://www.climatechange.ca.gov/ada...trategy/2009_09_14_HSherback_Comments_CAS.pdf
That is the exact reason why, even when you advocate for green technology or any technology for that matter, you will ALWAYS have environmental groups take the builders of such projects into court, costing jobs, causing delays, raising costs. etc. to the point where it is no longer cost effective. When people make this claim especially groups that have come to do this sort of thing are out there at the same time calling for cap and trade legislation , like Earth First, Sierra Club, etc. it falls on deaf ears. Any legislation for these sorts of technologies, including nuclear, clean coal etc, as part of a clean energy policy should include restrictions to keep these groups from causing such delays, even for so called environmentally friendly technologies.
Written By: Penny Rodriguez
Published In: Environment & Climate News Publication Date: 09/01/2009
Environmental groups advocating for land conservation and protection of endangered species are lining up in opposition to measures to expedite solar energy projects on federal lands, particularly in the Mojave Desert, announced by Interior Department Secretary Ken Salazar on June 29, 2009.
Loss of Water and Habitat
With solar power plants having a much larger footprint and demanding more water for power generation than traditional power plants require, battle lines between environmental activist groups are being drawn in the desert sand.
http://www.climatechange.ca.gov/ada...trategy/2009_09_14_HSherback_Comments_CAS.pdf
That is the exact reason why, even when you advocate for green technology or any technology for that matter, you will ALWAYS have environmental groups take the builders of such projects into court, costing jobs, causing delays, raising costs. etc. to the point where it is no longer cost effective. When people make this claim especially groups that have come to do this sort of thing are out there at the same time calling for cap and trade legislation , like Earth First, Sierra Club, etc. it falls on deaf ears. Any legislation for these sorts of technologies, including nuclear, clean coal etc, as part of a clean energy policy should include restrictions to keep these groups from causing such delays, even for so called environmentally friendly technologies.
