Friday, April 30, 2010

Drilling, Mining Disasters Validate Move Towards Renewables

It's been a grim few weeks for traditional fossil fuel industries, their workers and the country:


Forty-two miners and oil rig employees killed in Gulf of Mexico, Kentucky and West Virginia disasters, and now a massive oil slick said to be larger than the horrendous Exxon Valdez spill is moving from the sunken British Petroleum off-shore rig towards the Louisiana coast over a sensitive ecosystem and its rich fishing waters.

These have always been dangerous professions, but as the thirst for fuel grows, so do the risks, and the consequences.

And thus another reason to look to conservation ,and alternative technologies and fuels as sources of energy.

Let's face it: wind turbines, solar collectors, ethanol production and tidal power generation do not put human beings and the landscape at as much risk.

Some, yes, but nowhere near equivalent to what is on the line through oil, coal and natural gas extraction.

Politicians have to face up to this dilemma, as does the public.


4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thank God you care about safe drinking water for your neighbors too.

You are a good man Jimbo.

James Rowen said...

Waukesha will get its water supply if it meets the Compact's requirements.

Ron R said...

The requirements being that they bend over, spread'em, and give Milwaukee exactly what it wants.

enoughalready said...

I believe in most cases we are talking about avoidable disasters. Yes, we need alternative energy and renewable energy, but we also need government regulation with the teeth to make a difference.