The EPA has issued reports that directly show fracking compounds found in water wells.

 

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Wind turbines and solar are not reliable. While they can both produce a lot of energy, you still have to maintain a backup coal plant to ensure the steady supply of power.

 

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If its the report I'm thinking of, it dealt with a single well that used very unusual methods and was not at all indicative of the technology in general or how it is used.

I'll stop and take Cawlin's advice though.

 

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Maybe 15 years ago, but battery technology is making huge leaps and bounds at the moment. It won't be long before either battery technologies make the leap, or electric cars make the leap to the mainstream. (On that particular note, there are already companies looking to commercialize electric car batteries with 200+ mile range, and the entire car costs less than $25k).

What needs to happen in conjunction with solar and wind development is massive focus on the efficient USE of energy. Solar and wind aren't viable on their own because we are energy whores. Implementing smart grids is the next big innovation.

 

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I didn't see any of those turbines moving. Are they ninja turbines secretly generating energy without being seen?

 

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The 1800's called. They wanted to introduce you to photographs.

 

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Most ground water contamination in the fracking process comes not from the fracking itself, but by improper handling of the fluid used in the fracking process while it's on the surface.

Having a wind turbine near your house is less disturbing than having a new interstate off ramp let out next to your house. That isn't saying much or course, as having an off ramp next door would seriously suck....doesn't mean we stop building roads however. Or stop building houses next door where there was always a beautiful field for years and years, or stop putting in power lines on public land because the people who live next to it don't like their view being messed up by them....

I would hate having a huge wind turbine next door, but that's the breaks. Either buy all the land for as far as you can see from your front door, or get used to the idea that someone might put something you don't want to look at on some of that land.

Or gas turbines, or hydro, or nuclear. All of which are cleaner and safer, and all generate at a lower cost than windmills.

Of course gas makes evil carbon dioxide and hydro kills fish. Guess that leaves nuclear.

 

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Actually we can double our output of hydroelectric without building a single new dam. We just need to retrofit existing dams with more efficient equipment and add generators to dams that have none.

Currently we get 9% of our electricity from dams and we can get that to 17% while lowering the impact on wildlife. Or so says Scientific American.

Democrats are so obsessed with wind and solar that they ignore the more viable stuff so it won't happen until they're out of the majority again.

 

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Honestly we don't know that and can't know that until the energy companies are forced to tell us what they are pumping into the ground and how they are doing it.

Right now they are resisting both strongly,which suggest to me it is going to cost them more to clean up and make it safe than they are spending on lobbyist to keep what they are doing secret.

The republicans have also been making a push towards limiting the EPA's authority to regulate "new" chemicals appearing in our water supply.They aren't making that push for no reason at all,they are being lobbied to do it...which again tells me again they already know there are problems and they are trying to mitigated the damages beforehand.


BTW: yes Id rather 5 wind turbines inside of a mile from my house rather than a coal/oil power plant with in 50 miles of my house.I'd rather see them on off shore platforms,deserts,mountain tops,Wyoming ,and other cheap land not suitable for most other businesses or housing.

 

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