Weighing concerns in battling climate change | Letters To Editor ... - Santa Fe New Mexican
Weighing concerns in battling climate change | Letters To Editor | santafenewmexican.com
Questions for climate activist and author Bill McKibben: I don’t want to take from the Earth faster than it can replenish or waste faster than it can absorb ("Author, activist aims to raise heat on climate change," Oct. 29). But manufacturing, operation and discard of solar PVs, wind turbines and e-vehicles can harm wildlife and public health. I therefore have questions about AES’ proposed 800-acre solar facility in Santa Fe County.
What fossil fuels, extractions and toxins are involved in manufacturing and shipping it? How much water will operations require? Have professional engineers certified that AES’ batteries won’t catch fire and (if they do) prohibit nearby residents from leaving home, running ventilation systems or opening windows until toxins clear? When panels crack and chemicals — including PFAs — leach into groundwater, what’s AES’ cleanup plan? When the facility shuts down, who’ll pay to remove its hazardous waste? Would Bill McKibben consider me a NIMBY for asking these questions?
Katie Singer
Santa Fe
Santa Fe
Santa Fe
Related Knowledge Center: Climate legislation
The federal government and states are in the process of implementing two laws — the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act — an investment of more than a trillion dollars to address climate change.