March 1, 2007
Here’s An Issue…
… to which I hadn’t given any thought, probably because I was totally unaware of it, but now that I am aware, well,
Environmentalists say they want renewable energy, but they’re tearing down dams, which provide hydropower across the country. And the networks are ignoring this eco-campaign to save the salmon and turn out the lights.
Hmmmmm….
You can read the entire enlightening (at least to me) piece here.
I can’t say this surprises me much, if at all. Not the media’s silence on it, because if a liberal agenda is involved, it’s also an MSM agenda, and I’m certainly not at all surprised that this is happening, period. I’m just surprised that I haven’t run across this particular story before.
It could hardly be called amazing, given the left’s unending battle to damage the U.S. economy and infrastructure wherever opportunity presents itself. One only need look at the Kyoto kerfuffle and the liberals’ (along with their Democrat butt munchers) war on corporate America.
Here we have yet another great example of lefty lunacy: They yell, as the article cites, about the need for regenerative energy sources, then find ways to destroy regenerative energy sources.
Hey, I lived in San Francisco during the energy crisis a few years ago (luckily, I lived on the same part of the grid as a BART station, so I didn’t have to suffer through the brown-outs those less fortunately located had to endure). Remember that one? That liberal fool Gray Davis, who was governor at the time — we later ended up firing him for gross incompetence and replacing him with the Terminator, LOL — “solved” the problem by grossly overpaying out-of-state electric companies for more juice, then, when we had an excess, selling it off for pennies on the dollar (those liberals sure are brilliant businessmen!): Buy dear, sell cheap.
Okay, so we get rid of hydro-electric plants, which gets rid of a significant percentage of regenerative power — it may only be, as the article states, about 10% of the total national source of electricity, but to be realistic, we have to look at this as a regional, not a national, issue. A given hydro-electric plant might be supplying the bulk of electricity to tens of thousands of homes and most of the infrastructure in one part of one state.
What’s the local government supposed to do? Send out letters saying, “Sorry, folks, we’re going to give you a tax rebate to use to build windmills and/or have solar panels installed on your roof. We’re really, really, truly sorry that you’ll have to live in the dark and barbecue your dinner until your new energy sources are in place. In the meantime, we regret to inform you that we’ll have to seize 40,000 homes via eminent domain in order to convert the properties to windmill and solar energy fields….”
Of course, the glaringly obvious and cleanest solution to the lost energy due to the closing of hydro-electric plants would be more nuclear power facilities, but…. those would be unacceptable to the left. They will fight tooth and nail against the construction of energy-oriented nuclear power plants, but it’s perfectly okay if Iran builds breeder reactors in the guise of innocent energy sources. After all, the only thing we need to assure that Iran doesn’t develop any threat value is some peaceful, understanding, mares-eat-oats-and-does-eat-oats diplomacy, right?
What can I say? It would appear that the life and convenience of a single salmon is infinitely more important than the lives of millions of Americans.
Who can argue with that logic?
http://hardastarboard.mu.nu/wp-trackback.php?p=628
March 1st, 2007 at 11:01 am
As usual with the liberal GW agenda their politics and their actions are hypocritical with their words for the cause which is beong disproven more every day. Even their main Guru Al Gore is finally being shown for the hypocrite he is with his 4 mansions consuming 20% more electricity than average Americans and his world wide jaunts on private jets! But we who live daily are expected to sacrifice for their fantsy based cause! Again HYPOCRITES!
March 1st, 2007 at 1:12 pm
Ken –
It would really be great if all Americans would wake up to the fact that pretty much everything liberals stand for is based on lies and an all-consuming hatred for all that America stands for.
In my next post, I linked to an Ann Coulter column that sums them up as eloquently as I’ve ever seen done.
March 1st, 2007 at 3:19 pm
[...] Original post by Hard Astarboard [...]
March 1st, 2007 at 5:17 pm
Sometimes you have to get past the actors and look at the issue more dispassionately. Salmon fishing is an industry that contributes substantially to the economy; dams have devastated the salmon runs, and mitigations have been largely ineffective. Silt build-up over time decreases the efficiency of dams (as well as having downstream effects) and shifts the cost/benefit, along with issues of erosion, insect vectors, degeneration of water quality, etc.
Also, I am under the impression that most of these dam decommissionings are set to happen when the current contracts expire, and thus we’re talking about a more gradual process, not a massive tear-down, which should allow adequate time for power-source shifting.
Hetch Hetchey is an exceptional case, as its construction (which was associated with political manipulations) has been a festering wound to the Sierra Club since its construction (as you would well know, having lived in SF). But most cases, there is economic logic behind decommissioning.
The crux, which I think we all have to hold the decommissioning advocates to, is the replacing of these power sources with reasonable alternatives in a timely fashion. That’s where we can test whether the environmentalists are acting in good faith.
March 1st, 2007 at 10:03 pm
Heh, went to your Ann Coulter link, holding my
nose, girded my liberal loins and absorbed her
purple prose. And found that I agreed with her
on Leonardo DiCaprio’s acting abilities. Either
she is more perceptive than I thought, or neither
of us knows anything about acting…..
March 1st, 2007 at 11:52 pm
Why oh why do we have to put up with this crap?
Every time I see a windmill I want to stuff it up Ted Kennedy’s rear end.
March 2nd, 2007 at 1:41 am
Solar Panels Blog –
Thanks for the link.
BB –
…girded my liberal loins and absorbed her
purple prose.
C’mon, face it; she is always spot-on. For a bold and unstereotypable liberal from the home of Ore-Ida Crispers {YUM!}, the truth shouldn’t hurt.
Ann’s column said more than just commenting on DiCaprio’s acting ability, LOL, though I agree with her there, as well.
Marie –
That, or build a ten deep line of windmills across his entire beachfront, surrounding it with a high voltage, razor-wire topped fence and a mine field to keep away a removal crew.
March 2nd, 2007 at 2:06 am
Civil Truth –
You make some good points that I hadn’t considered.
However, where you mention the fact that the environmentalists don’t consider replacing the energy sources they do away with, you cite a large difference between the left and the right — the former never think that far ahead, or more probably, they do and simply prefer to put their dents in infrastructure and leave things thus, viewing them as a twisted sort of double victory.
March 2nd, 2007 at 9:03 am
Interesting post, Seth. I agree with you and Ann Coulter; not only on the Dam issue but also regarding Leonardo DiCaprio.
Civil Truth does make some good points here, but so do you regarding the fact that the environmentalists don’t normally consider replacing the energy sources they destroy. I love eating Salmon, but I would rather give up that luxury for electricity if I had to make a choice.
March 2nd, 2007 at 4:15 pm
Gayle –
That’s the problem –
A lot has to do with intent. While the left may occasionally come up with a viable agenda, there’s always a downside that they pretend not to notice — usually one that has a greater (negative) impact on U.S. infrastructure, the economy, etc.
One of my grandmother’s favorite expressions used to be “don’t throw out the dirty water until you have some clean water”. The left doesn’t want us to have any “water” at all.
If they have their way, however, these folks will find themselves in the same boat as the rest of us, and naturally, it will somehow be Bush’s fault (or whoever the highest ranking Republican happens to be at the time).
Poached or grilled salmon is always welcome on my dinner plate, as well, and smoked salmon is my favorite thing to have on a bagel or scrambled with eggs and onions, but not if I have to eat it in the dark.
March 2nd, 2007 at 7:01 pm
When dealing with liberals, they measure a person by the goodness of their intentions, not by the results of their deeds.
They will kill us and destroy us with the best of intentions, assuming they are honest about their intentions
March 2nd, 2007 at 8:00 pm
Shoprat –
That was also the premise of Mona Charen’s excellent book, Do Gooders.
…although recent agendas bring into question the honesty of most of their intentions.
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