This week (April 28) Spain and Portugal have lost electricity, some say due to their reliance on renewables 鈥 that is, wind and sun power have failed miserably. Seeing this, the people in Cayuga County should fight not to produce renewables but more consistent power, like hydro, hydrogen or nuclear or fossil-fueled energy resources. Unpredictable climate change (excuse for renewables) is not as important an issue as human survival.
Spain virtually closed, without safe transportation or phones, and hospitals not up to normal (while people are dying). Cities got paralyzed. Without refrigeration, millions of dollars of food has spoiled. On the other hand, France with the same weather-related conditions will have nearly 鈥渇ull鈥 power because it has 18 nuclear power stations 鈥 a dependable clean energy source. France is the same size as California, which has just one nuclear plant. And people think the U.S. can build AI computers (which need a lot of electricity to run) and Bitcoin mining with so little power resources! Who is fooling whom?
Cayuga County and upstate New York will suffer if and when we rely on unsustainable sources of electricity. God gave us the sun, but he also gave us brains and survival instincts. Solar panels and wind turbines last maybe 30 years and need replacement, thus the waste of huge amounts of plastic and metal, and turn good land into bad land, whereas sustainable power sources could last twice as long and won鈥檛 be affected if the sun isn鈥檛 shining. Hydrogen, hydro and nuclear are proven to be reliable generation sources. If AI and large computers demand vastly more energy, we cannot use renewable and unsustainable gadgets to provide electricity. Keep up the fight against weak, inconsistent renewables or suffer the unavoidable and extreme consequences like the power blackouts in Spain and Portugal.
Lawrence Netti lives in Auburn.
Aside from minor edits for style and grammar, all letters to the editor are reprinted as submitted. To submit a letter to 水果派AV, email citizenletters@lee.net, use the form at auburnpub.com or mail it to 水果派AV, 25 Seminary St., Suite R1, Auburn, NY 13021. Letters must concern subjects that are local to the Cayuga County area, be 400 words or less, and include a phone number to contact the writer, which will not be published. Letters concerning elections must be received at least a week before Election Day. For more information, call (315) 282-2245.
