Solar Energy Comments due April 18, 2024

[Sytes]

 

[whatnot]

It really is incalculable to understand what the true long term costs of something are, or there enviromtental impacts. Its mostly a "political football" as @Big Fin would say. A great case in point is texas - known well as a deeply red state - it has the highest renewable output in the country.

The ecological impact/damage from a solar farm comes primarily from mining. The precious metals mined are mined with ugly practice and terrible for the enviroment, no doubt. Recycling them well is also not practiced, at the moment. Which represents its own set of issues and complications, obviously.

However, the area the panels are on is static - with a typical design life of 30-40 years. In that time frame - to generate the same electricity - the area disturbed to mine that much coal or extract that much gas would be much larger. The mine uses fuel, equipment, and all sorts of other things that ultimately came out of the dirt too.

It is exceedingly difficult (especially because info is typically politically charged to overstate one side of the facts) to weigh all options and understand the true impacts/costs/benefits of x vs y in energy development and conservation.

Our effort as hunters should be focused on defining critical areas and scientific justifications for them. If thats in as many as areas as possible - win. But going wholesale "No development" isnt going to be an argument that sells well enough to make a difference against public interest in goods/power/water and corporate interest in profit.

Then we get rolled.

Explain the difference in what's happening now.

On one side we have the Mike Lee crowd.

Now we have the other side, who traditionally have been much better on public ground, who have found their way to use it as a revenue source.

 

[whatnot]

Agreed.


Little less IPA, might mean more time to equal the SAVE OUR CANYONS hippies that I see and hear on public land issues.

 

[Forkyfinder]

Then we get rolled.

Explain the difference in what's happening now.

On one side we have the Mike Lee crowd.

Now we have the other side, who traditionally have been much better on public ground, who have found their way to use it as a revenue source.

It isnt explicitly right and left - again look at texas.

 

[seeth07]

It isnt explicitly right and left - again look at texas.

I think that is why I end up most liking candidates that are not extreme left or right. The closer they are to the middle of the spectrum, they higher likelihood they support the sportsman's ideology.

 

[SAJ-99]

"WE", actually don't have to be agreeable.

Sort of do, actually. We are a huge minority. When any minority starts from a position of "I'm a bad ass and I'm going to fight" it turns away people that might be sympathetic to the cause and typically results in the minority getting its ass kicked.

And I can think of a lot of BLM that is better used as a solar farm than putting it on private land that is ideal wintering ground.

 

[whatnot]

It isnt explicitly right and left - again look at texas.

Texas has 2% public land. It's not a good comparison

 

[Forkyfinder]

Texas has 2% public land. It's not a good comparison

Those guys wearing red ties greenlighted that. Thats the point. It is a good comparison - development is development to wildlife. Worrying about public land only - and negelecting a lot of superior habitat is on private land.

 

[whatnot]

Sort of do, actually. We are a huge minority. When any minority starts from a position of "I'm a bad ass and I'm going to fight" it turns away people that might be sympathetic to the cause and typically results in the minority getting its ass kicked.

And I can think of a lot of BLM that is better used as a solar farm than putting it on private land that is ideal wintering ground.

That hasn't been the case with wolves, bears, copper bullets, etc, etc, etc.

We all heard the same type claims on Corner Crossing, even from the owner of the joint.

"Better not piss anyone off"

"They have the money and power, we dont"

Don't want to risk court"

Amazing what happens when folks don't just roll over.

And again. If hunters/fishermen lose, what would be the difference in that and this?

This isn't the best solution, nuke power is, this is just the cheapest and easiest. Fill Nevada full of panels to power LA.

 

[whatnot]

Those guys wearing red ties greenlighted that. Thats the point. It is a good comparison - development is development to wildlife. Worrying about public land only - and negelecting a lot of superior habitat is on private land.

Private land has advocates

 

[elkantlers]

This is happening in the best Pronghorn unit in Utah right now.

Last summer vs now