NEWS
Letter to the Editor Anti-Science Activists Support Deforestation
The recent pipeline debate seems to have struck a nerve with some. The Schoharie "News" published an editorial in support of a green energy solution. Fine, I guess, if it was workable. One part that made sense was to actually push for energy instead of being one of the anti-everything activists.
Some so-called environmentalists have rallied against the pipeline and carbon fuel. Unfortunately, they don't understand that using coal, natural gas, and oil for electricity and heat has saved the forests.
No-- really.
Using wood to heat houses is as old as time and with the large population boom in the 1800s and early 1900s, the forests of the US and Europe were cut at an alarming rate. When other types of energy were used to heat homes, namely deriving from carbon fuels, deforestation reversed course dramatically.
Contrary to claims that Pennsylvania's economy has been ruined by fracking and unemployment has gone up, using energy has had some positive effects. Frequently spouted "facts" on Facebook are just plain wrong. Someone needs to explain that unemployment has fallen from 8.7% in early 2010 when fracking was first used in PA to 5.4% today (lower than the national average) while GDP has grown from $554 billion in 2009 to $603 in 2013, but don't let facts get in the way of a good narrative. How many jobs have these protesters created again?
So let's get rid of coal, gas, and oil. Okay... so let's get wind! Oh no, the "environmentalists" in this county are against it. Okay, what about hydro power! Oh, wait. Solar! Not ready yet?
So let's use a renewable organic source of energy-- wood! Forested areas in the US and Europe are at the highest levels in over 100 years because people no longer clear cut for heat.
Who will tell our NIMBY friends that their desired policies would clear cut far more forest than any pipeline?
Cheers,
Richard "Halliburton"
Summit
Some so-called environmentalists have rallied against the pipeline and carbon fuel. Unfortunately, they don't understand that using coal, natural gas, and oil for electricity and heat has saved the forests.
No-- really.
Using wood to heat houses is as old as time and with the large population boom in the 1800s and early 1900s, the forests of the US and Europe were cut at an alarming rate. When other types of energy were used to heat homes, namely deriving from carbon fuels, deforestation reversed course dramatically.
Contrary to claims that Pennsylvania's economy has been ruined by fracking and unemployment has gone up, using energy has had some positive effects. Frequently spouted "facts" on Facebook are just plain wrong. Someone needs to explain that unemployment has fallen from 8.7% in early 2010 when fracking was first used in PA to 5.4% today (lower than the national average) while GDP has grown from $554 billion in 2009 to $603 in 2013, but don't let facts get in the way of a good narrative. How many jobs have these protesters created again?
So let's get rid of coal, gas, and oil. Okay... so let's get wind! Oh no, the "environmentalists" in this county are against it. Okay, what about hydro power! Oh, wait. Solar! Not ready yet?
So let's use a renewable organic source of energy-- wood! Forested areas in the US and Europe are at the highest levels in over 100 years because people no longer clear cut for heat.
Who will tell our NIMBY friends that their desired policies would clear cut far more forest than any pipeline?
Cheers,
Richard "Halliburton"
Summit