#the only reason we consider it the same river regardless of the water and ecosystem changing is location

[environmentalimpactstatement]

#NODAPL PROPOSALS & STANDING ROCK UPDATE

UPDATE: The Army Corps of Engineers and the Governor of North Dakota have issued an evacuation order for Wednesday February the 22nd.

Water Protectors are surrounded on all sides by Militarized Law Enforcement, Federal Indian Police, Army Corp, National Guard and private DAPL security;  They are all at risk of facing arrest, police brutality, federal charges, and prison time. They are asking everyone to come and stand with them. Protectors and Media must arrive by February 21st, today.

EIS ARTIST COLLECTIVE: DAKOTA ACCESS PIPELINE CROSSING PUBLIC COMMENTS

to gib.a.owen.civ February 20, 2017

Mr. Gib Owen, Water Resources Policy and Legislation, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, Washington, DC 20310-0108

“Understanding is like water flowing in a stream. Wisdom and knowledge are solid and can block our understanding” -Thich Nhat Hanh

We are the Portland and Minnesota based artist collective, Environmental Impact Statement. We have curated visual arts exhibitions, hosted performances, and produced writing and composition in response to the many challenges and threats to the future of healthy ecosystems in our community and beyond. We have brought together seven artists to respond to threats to water and treaty rights of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.

We believe that artists offer a unique perspective on the way we view the natural world. As cultural change agents, artists are a powerful resource for interpreting the values that people hold for the future of our planet. We initiated this project to respond to the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s powerful effort to redress the lack of any genuine government-to-government consultation over the placement of the Dakota Access Pipeline .55 miles north of the reservation underneath the Missouri River at Lake Oahe; the pipeline was rerouted away from Bismarck for many of the same reasons that now threaten two tribal reservations and millions of people downstream from where the pipeline is planned, not least the tribal rights to hunt, fish, and gather, but also the right to freedom of religion. There is a long history of the government taking of lands held sacred to the people of the Sioux Nation along the shorelines of the Missouri, the water being inseparable from their spirituality. We issued a Call to Artists to submit proposals that could not happen if the pipeline was built. In doing so, we hope to shine a spotlight on a more rigorous cultural and scientific understanding supportive of stopping the pipeline, which would lead to a ‘no action alternative’ option. We believe that the permit process up until the order for an EIS failed to consider the public interest as a primary concern. Our project proposals illustrate further impacts of the proposed pipeline construction, namely the inspiration and life that the affected area gives to artists and most importantly, to the Sioux Tribe to which this land is sacred and home.

“The world, even the smallest parts of it, is filled with things you don't know.”    -Sherman Alexie

“Western civilization, unfortunately, does not link knowledge and morality but rather, it connects knowledge and power and makes them equivalent.”              -Vine Deloria Jr.

“I don’t understand why we are expendable in America. I keep telling people, we do our best. We have always been here. This is our land. Why should we fight to live on our own land? Why should we have to do that over and over again? We start our lives. We do our best to live. Why? I would never hurt anybody. I have always done my best to do good things in my community. Why can’t they just let us live? We love this land. And half of the time I feel bad, because they make us feel bad for loving this land.

But most important, we love the water. Every year, our people sacrifice. We go four days without drinking water, so that it reminds us how important this water is. And I ask everybody: Do you go four days without water? What happens to your body on that third day? Your body starts shutting down. So, we remind ourselves every day how important. We say mni wiconi, water of life. Every time we drink water, we say mni wiconi, water of life. We cannot live without water. So I don’t understand why America doesn’t understand how important water is. So we have no choice. We have to stand. No matter what happens, we have to stand to save the water.”                                                                                         -Ladonna Brave Bull Allard

Ryan Seibold & Lisa Schonberg

Environmental Impact Statement [email protected]

Artist Proposals

Bug Davidson (Austin, Texas) Where is the project proposed? Sioux tribal lands Project Title: Not Our Space Project Description: Video Projection on the landscape of woman dancing - interacting with the landscape. How would your project be impacted by the pipeline? This land would change considerably, spiritual lands of people should not be land for the pipeline, the tribe should be respected.

Kate Hoffman (Los Angeles, California) Where is the project proposed? Sioux Territory Under 1851 Treaty of Ft. Laramie Project Title: How the US Became a Model of Righting a Wrong Project Description: "How the US Became a Model of Righting a Wrong" is a historical piece that will be created five years from now. It will use the events of what initially appeared to look as if the corporations building the pipeline were ignoring treaties and peaceful protesting by using brut force and financial power to not listen to the needs of the people and the land. But though the force of unity and respect for all bodies and all land the DAPL pipeline project was terminated. Canada and the US decided to re-invest in environmentally safe means of producing energy and only use land that was available to them through legal channels. The project will use the series of events and experience as an opportunity to thank those instrumental in the termination of the pipeline. These "thank you" gifts will be created in community centers across the globe. It will be a project and a teaching tool for the youth that will examine how through the power of the people and the interests of integrity of moral good and self-respect, the wealthy will right their wrongs and come through as the "good guys". Every year the youth and the people involved in this curriculum will create thank you drawings about the world they will get to live in and have children in, one where they will have clean water to drink, and raise their own children knowing that ALL people will be respected regardless of race/class and nation. How would your project be impacted by the pipeline? This project will only be able to occur if the pipeline is not built and those responsible will correct their wrong doings as soon as possible. Otherwise the project will absolutely not be able to occur nor will the children be given a model of citizenship, humanistic perspectives, good winning over evil, or perhaps be able to raise children in a country where there is fresh water to drink.

Fuchsia Lin (Portland, Oregon) Where is the project proposed? Standing Rock Sioux Reservation Project Title: The Beings of Water Project Description: To create an installation piece of sculptural textiles, costumes and masks that will represent the biodiversity of the region surrounding the Cannonball River that runs through the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation. This piece will include seven different sculptural costumes and masks displayed on wire armatures that serve as a visual poem of the native peoples'(the Hunkpapa Lakota, Sihasapa Lakota and Yanktonai Dakota) relationship with the Cannonball River and their natural environment. In order to commence this project, I will need to spend one to two weeks observing the Cannonball River environment during each of the four seasons. I will observe the height of the river, as well as the kind of flora and fauna present during the different times of the year. The following endangered species residing within the ecosystem of the Cannonball River: the ancient species of pallid sturgeon, and shorebirds the least tern and piping plover, will be a focus of my observations. The native blue flax flower, widely prevalent in this region and an important food source for different species of butterflies and native bees contribute to diversity, will be of noteworthiness to this project. The collected research will then be used to create textile designs that represent the biodiversity of this region and call attention to the impact the health of the Cannonball River has on the environment and surrounding native populations. These textiles will then be created into sculptural costumes and masks, each one representing a different species: fish, bird, flower, animal, insect or person, and each with their own unique gesture. The sculptures will be intentionally arranged in a large circle facing outward, symbolizing the holistic meaning of the "Water is Life" consciousness to the Lakota culture. There will be a path of blue light projected on the ground representing a river running through the sculpture formation. This installation will be exhibited in different venues across the country. The purpose is to share and connect with the deep inspiration of the native peoples' values and respect for the "Being of Water". May their ancient culture inspire us to shift our relationship to our environment and enrich our own cultural roots to our land. How would your project be impacted by the pipeline? The construction of the pipeline would inevitably alter the balance of the ecosystem surrounding the Cannonball River and the fragility of the endangered species would not enable them to survive. A documentation of an accurate representation of the region nurturing the last attempt of these species to rebound would no longer be possible because of the disruption. The high risk of the pipeline leaking would cause major damage to the Cannonball River's ecosystem and the species that contribute to the diversity of that region would be irreparably lost, to say the least of the consequences.

Lisa Schonberg (Portland, Oregon) Where is the project proposed? Sioux Tribal lands Project Title: Soundscape Storytelling Project Description: I will make audio field recordings of soundscapes along the Missouri River nearby the proposed pipeline construction, in riparian and freshwater aquatic habitats. I will visit the site seasonally, four times in one year. During each visit I will collect diurnal and nocturnal recordings. After each collection I will interview members of three generations of the Sioux Tribe. I will play the recordings for them and ask them what stories and what meanings each recording brings to mind for them. The recordings and interviews will be edited into an album featuring the interviews interspersed with respective field recordings. This album will be released digitally and available for donation, all donations benefitting the Sioux Tribes' efforts to protect their lands. How would your project be impacted by the pipeline? If construction of the pipeline proceeds, I will not be able to capture recordings of soundscapes that are unaffected by change brought on by construction. Sounds that have meaning will be obscured.

Ryan Seibold (Minneapolis, Minnesota) Where is the project proposed? Unceded Sioux Territory Under 1851 Treaty of Ft. Laramie Project Title: Black Square 2017 (Above The River) Project Description: The drill site of a cancelled oil pipeline project is covered black, signifying a turning point for our planet's future. The crude oil pipeline was supposed to tunnel underneath the Missouri River at Lake Oahe here. A black square canopy composed of several hundred solar panels is collectively held skyward by participants for one day; like a floating Malevich canvas over a rugged landscape, Black Square 2017 (Above The River) is a “zero-point” for environmental art's main challenge, confronting Climate Change. Divestment from oil and turning to solar and wind energy, along with strong Tribal opposition, killed the Black Snake and all plans to bore into the earth at this site, a last gasp only intensified by a newly installed puppet for the corporate-political establishment in the U.S. with financial ties to DAPL and connections to petrochemical industry insiders as far off as Russia. Drone aerial images of this work would be sold to fund Indigenous-led renewable energy projects. The solar panels would be gifted to Water Protectors to help build a sustainable community. The drill site becomes a distribution plaza for exchange of materials needed to build sustainable communities: solar and wind power, plants for ecosystem restoration and food/medicine gardens, energy efficient housing materials, etc. This proposal believes we need to become collective stewards for the water, land, cultures, and wildlife of Unci Maka (Lakota), Mother Earth. Our right to existence is one with responsibilities to everything else in creation. How would your project be impacted by the pipeline? Black Square 2017 (Above The River) would require the pipeline project receive a “no action alternative” decision from the EIS. Crude oil would flow through the site threatening water for everyone downstream because all pipelines eventually leak.

Photo: Myron Dewey

Aidan Shaughnessy (McGlaughlin, South Dakota, Standing Rock Res) Where is the project proposed? Eagle Butte, South Dakota Project Title: Bee Haven Project Description: Prairie, savannah, wetland and shoreline restorations for indigenous and exotic bees, butterflies, plants and peoples, refugees. How would your project be impacted by the pipeline? Yes, we are south of the DAPL near on the Missouri River where inevitable frac crude threatens our fresh water sources, ecosystems and cultures.

Maurice Spencer (Portland, Oregon) Where is the project proposed? North Dakota Project Title: Try drinking oily water, the musical Project Description: A musical odyssey taking into account humanity's history with water. Spoiler alert: we need to drink water more than we need to burn oil. How would your project be impacted by the pipeline? It would not be workable. The project requires drinking water without the risk of a pipeline rupture that would render it undrinkable.

[afriupdatenews]

hwange national park lion 3

Elephants in hwange national park

hwange buffalo national park

Hwange National Park is the new safari hotspot in southern Africa. With the downturn of the Zimbabwe economy, the embattled national park fell off the list of favourite safari destinations for a number of years but revitalised and re-energised through the concerted efforts of conservation organisations, Hwange is a safari gem waiting to be discovered.

For a fraction of the cost of the more famous Big 5 safari destinations in Africa, you can enjoy an incredible wildlife experience, pristine bushveld in a remote region and luxury safari lodges without the crowds.

Pronounced ‘’H-wang-ee’, the national park is the largest protected wildlife reserve in Zimbabwe, covering an area of 14 600 square kilometres. Hwange lies in the north-western corner of Zimbabwe, near Dete on the main road between Victoria Falls and Bulawayo.

Hwange National Park is less than 1.5-hours’ drive (100 kilometres) from the town of Victoria Falls and many visitors combine a holiday to the Big 5 safari destination with a tour of the mighty falls, which is a UNESCO Heritage Site and one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. We love the remoteness and exclusivity of Zimbabwe’s oldest and largest national park. Here are 10 reasons why you should put Hwange on your list of safari places to visit in the future.

Big 5 safari destination Hwange National Park is home to the famous Big 5 which includes elephants, buffalo, rhino, lion and leopard. One of its most impressive attractions is its large population of elephant. At last count, Hwange had more than 40 000 elephants and the numbers are growing as anti-poaching programmes are ramped up. You’ll find surprisingly strong numbers of white rhino as well as black rhino in Hwange National Park which are protected through the Lowveld Rhino Project. Despite rampant rhino poaching in the rest of Zimbabwe, the Park has seen its rhino population increasing by 10 percent year-on-year. Hwange is also renowned for having one of the healthiest populations of the highly endangered African wild dog, affectionately known as ‘painted dogs’ because of their unique colouring. There are fewer than 7 000 painted dogs left in Africa and only 700 in the whole of Zimbabwe, making them one of the most endangered species in the wild. Hwange is one of the last strongholds of wild dogs in Africa, with a recorded population of upwards of 160 dogs.You might like budget Kruger National Park Safaris.

Hwange falls within a protected transfrontier conservation area Hwange National Park lies within the Zambezi Basin which forms part of the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area. KAZA TFCA is one of the largest protected wilderness areas in the world; it’s larger than Germany and Australia, and twice as large as the United Kingdom. KAZA TFCA lies in the Kavango and Zambezi river basins where Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe converge. Jewels in the crown of KAZA TFCA are the Okavango Delta, Chobe National Park, Hwange National Park and Victoria Falls.

Diverse, untouched ecosystem Hwange National Park lies on the fringes of Botswana in a transitional zone between the dry, arid Kalahari Desert and the lush Highlands of Zimbabwe. The national park’s ecosystem is diverse and its bushveld is pristine, having had many years of extremely low visitor numbers to recover. The national park is divided between Kalahari sands in the south and rockier terrain in the north, with large swathes of thick Mopane woodlands and vast savanna grasslands. It lies in the beautiful Zambezi Basin which acts as a wildlife corridor for animals moving between the Park and the neighbouring Chobe National Park and Moremi Game Reserve in Botswana.

Birder’s paradise Hwange is home to some of the most diverse birds in the world, with over 420 recorded species found in the national park. These numbers swell in the summer months between November and April when many migratory species make their way south from Europe to escape the cold northern hemisphere winters. The national park is best known for its huge variety of raptors, with about 50 recorded species. The bateleur eagle is a common raptor found in the Park and you’ll also find strong numbers of grassland birds such as the kori bustard, southern ground hornbill and secretary bird which are some of the more conspicuous species.

Hwange’s famous waterholes Thanks to Friends of Hwange, the national park is famous for its man-made waterholes which create idyllic viewing spots for Big 5 safari tours. A unique characteristic of Hwange is its absence of permanent surface water. The animals rely heavily on some 60 waterholes that are scattered throughout the Park and filled by water pumped from boreholes. Over the years, the waterholes have taken on a natural look and blend seamlessly into the bushveld. Without these strategic watering points, the national park would not be able to support its large quantities of animals. The best time to visit Hwange National Park is in the drier, winter months between July and October when large numbers of animals and migratory birds congregate at the waterholes.

Remote exclusivity Apart from incredible wildlife and bird sightings and exceptional landscapes, one of the best things about a holiday to Hwange is its promise of exclusivity. The remote national park is off the beaten track of the safari hotspots such as Okavango Delta and Chobe National Park in Botswana, and its tourism numbers are substantially lower. For this reason, a safari tour of Hwange National Park is an exclusive experience which you share with small numbers of people. The safari lodges in Hwange concentrate on quality rather than quantity and you’re guaranteed a more personalised and private safari tour without the large crowds you find in game reserves that attract the mainstream travelling set.

Exceptional guiding A phenomenal safari experience is dependent on the quality of the guides and Zimbabwe’s game rangers do not disappoint. In fact, the country is renowned for having some of the best safari guides in Africa. One thing you’ll love about the guides and trackers in Hwange is their warmth and friendliness. You’ll find Zimbabweans in general are incredibly friendly and welcoming hosts. The country has gone through very tough times but regardless, you’re always welcomed at the Hwange safari lodges and on game drives with open arms and a big smile. Combine your safari experience with a trip to the Victoria Falls.

Affordable safari tour Don’t mistake affordability with lower quality when it comes to considering this tantalising aspect of a safari tour of Hwange National Park. It’s purely due to the extremely attractive US Dollar-Zimbabwe Dollar exchange rate that makes the national park so affordable, while at the same time visitors enjoy a world-class safari experience. For a lot less than what you’d pay at the likes of Chobe National Park, Okavango Delta and Serengeti Game Reserve, you get the same premier safari holiday; possibly even better because of the national park’s exclusivity and low tourist numbers.

Luxury accommodation in pristine settings Property investors have remained loyal to Hwange National Park, despite very trying economic times. You’ll find a selection of luxury and ultra-luxury safari lodges in the Park in pristine locations and untouched wilderness. Revamped and re-energised, the luxury safari lodges in Hwange are geared for high-end wildlife tourists and compete with the best game lodges in southern Africa. You’ll also find a collection of budget-friendly tented bush camps that cater to your middle-range traveller. The older bush camps have been extensively renovated, many of which have won prestigious hospitality awards.

Conveniently located to Victoria Falls A Big 5 safari tour in Hwange National Park usually goes hand-in-hand with a holiday in the town of Victoria Falls. Located 100 kilometres from Hwange, it’s a relaxed, scenic 1&half-hour’s drive to Victoria Falls on the Zimbabwe side. The world-famous waterfall is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the 7 Natural Wonders of the World. The town is known as the “Adrenalin Capital of Africa” and offers visitors the most exciting choice of outdoor activities and fun entertainment. You can opt for adrenalin-pumping white water rafting, bungee jumping and swimming in Devil’s Pool on the lip of Victoria Falls or enjoy more sedate activities like Big 5 game drives, guided bush walks, tour of the historic bridge and delicious High Tea at the famous Victoria Falls Hotel.

Top 10 Reasons To Visit Hwange National Park Hwange National Park is the new safari hotspot in southern Africa. With the downturn of the Zimbabwe economy, the embattled national park fell off the list of favourite safari destinations for a number of years but revitalised and re-energised through the concerted efforts of conservation organisations, Hwange is a safari gem waiting to be discovered.

#Africa #Hwange National Park #safari destinations

[shaledirectory]

Holland Township Illustrates Renewables No Easy Substitute for Gas

Tom Shepstone Shepstone Management Company, Inc.

  Holland Township, New Jersey proves there is no free lunch when it comes to energy. Attempting to address energy needs with anything but reason never works.

Our friend and guest blogger, Jim Willis, over at Marcellus Drilling News, has his ear closer to the ground than anyone I know and regularly picks up stories outside the mainstream of gas industry news. One of those, from Monday of this week, was about a potential new natural gas fueled power plant in Holland Township, Hunterdon County, New Jersey, of all places. He related the details from a NJ Spotlight article focusing on the appearance of Phoenix Energy Center, LLC before the Township Planning Board to discuss the possibility of a new 600 MW power plant at an old industrial site along the Musconetcong River. Could it be? Yes, indeed, because this municipality is slowly learning energy choices aren’t as simple as fractivists have been asserting.

NJ Spotlight, of course, is financially supported by the William Penn Foundation, so news from this source, like that from StateImpactPA, is fractivist-leaning (using the same reporters in some instances). It channels Sierra Club bully Jeff Tittel’s message in this instance and suggests PennEast Pipeline opposition by Holland Township could somehow present an obstacle:

Probably one of the biggest hurdles facing the project is the Musconetcong’s designation as a C1 stream, a classification that includes an anti-degradation policy to protect the water from any deterioration in quality, according to Jeff Tittel, director of the New Jersey Sierra Club.

Typically, power plants require huge amounts of water, which is then discharged at higher temperatures into a nearby waterway. “It’s a C1 stream,’’ Tittel said. “There can’t be any measurable change in water quality.’’

At the planning board meeting, consultants for the company indicated the plant would withdraw up to 5.4 million gallons of water a day from wells or from the river, and discharge more than 1.5 million gallons into the river daily, according to Tittel, who was at the meeting.

There is a nearby pipeline belonging to Elizabethtown Gas that might supply the fuel needed to run the plant, although that connection could pose a problem. Elizabethtown is one of the sponsors of the controversial PennEast pipeline, a 120-mile conduit between Luzerne County, PA, that would end in Mercer County. Holland Township opposes the pipeline.

The idea PennEast opposition presents an obstacle to approval of a plant is politically naive, of course. The plant would pay huge amounts of property taxes or similar payments in lieu of taxes, probably enough to significantly lower other taxes. Does anyone imagine Holland Township isn’t going to seriously consider the proposal under those circumstances? Of course not, and that’s why Jeff Tittel is worried. Likewise, the fact there can’t be any measurable change in water quality is hardly news, as power plants would typically have to meet the highest standards for stream discharges and can do so.

What’s especially interesting in this case, though, is this; Holland Township is not that big a fan of solar and wind. When I read the NJ Spotlight article, I decided to do some research of my own by checking the Township’s online meeting records and see what the planning board minutes might have revealed. The May 14, 2018 minutes (most recent published) offered no more than this:

Discussion took place about one of the old mills becoming a power generating station with cooling water being discharged into the Musconetcong River.

So, I checked further and learned Holland Township has had some experience with solar and wind energy as well, having approved two solar projects and enacted regulations allowing small wind energy systems. The township has also done an update to its Farmland Preservation Plan and the April 9, 2018 included a draft prepared by its Agricultural Advisory Committee (AAC). While solar and wind are Jeff Titell’s standard answer to how New Jersey should meet its future energy needs, the township has adopted a much more skeptical stance, as is obvious from these excerpts:

Proliferation of Solar Farms

Within the Township solar facilities are permitted as principal and accessory uses in certain zones…

Since the 2010 plan, two applications have been approved for solar facilities. The first site is known as Garden Solar located on Spring Mills – Little York Road. The application was filed in September of 2011 and heard between November 2011 and January 2012. The Applicant was approved to construct two solar arrays that are not connected to each other in March of 2012. The second is known as the Mill Road Solar Project, located at 10 Mill Road. This application was filed in January 2016. On November 14, 2016 the application was deemed completed. Public hearings occurred in January, February and May of 2017. The Board approved the application and memorialized the resolution in June of 2017. The site consists of Block 2, Lot 1.02 (abandoned paper mill buildings) and Block 4, Lot 1 (farm fields). The Applicant was approved to construct a solar farm facility consisting of three distinct solar arrays on the site, generating 8.9 megawatts…

A 9.9 MW solar system in Howell, NJ that will, in reality produce less than a third of that and consumes as much land as a gas plant with a real capacity of 200 ± times much power.

It should be noted that in 2009 the State passed legislation that added “wind, solar or photovoltaic energy facility(ies) or structure(s)” as inherently beneficial uses. The statute also permits renewable energy facilities on parcels of 20 or more acres owned by the same entity in all industrial zones.

In October of 2012, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection issued a Solar Siting Analysis…

The report provides two categories – sites preferred by the Department for Solar Development and sites not preferred by the Department for Solar Development. Page 5 commences the discussion of preferred sites, which are summarized below:

 Existing impervious surface  Properly capped/closed landfills and remediated brownfields  Landfills requiring proper closure and brownfields requiring remediation  Barren and disturbed uplands

Sites not preferred by the Department for Solar Development are as follows:

Agriculture – Agricultural lands provide important and economically valuable ecosystem services including stormwater retention, preservation of soil and water resources, wildlife habitat, and carbon sequestration. … A solar project could potentially damage agricultural land, impede or reduce the productive agricultural capacity of the land for future use, and displace wildlife habitat.”

Natural and/or protected lands – “Solar projects on natural and/or protected lands such as forest, wetlands, flood hazard areas, wildlife habitat, open space, historic lands, etc. are also not preferred.”

…In reviewing any future solar applications, the AAC encourages the Planning and Zoning Board to refer to this guidance document in evaluating the site(s) selected by the developer.

The AAC is concerned about the impact solar facilities will have on the Township’s view sheds as well as the impact to farmland soils where these arrays are installed.

Wind Energy

In May of 2010 the Township Committee adopted Ordinance 2010-14, which permits small wind energy systems as conditional uses in the Limited Industrial Park District. There are 13 conditions. The maximum tower height is 120 feet. The Ordinance also permits small wind energy systems as an accessory use to a permitted farm that encompasses 20 or more contiguous acres within the Limited Industrial Park District. Small wind energy systems are also permitted as an accessory use to an agricultural use on at least 20 acres in the R-1 and R-5 Residential Districts.

As noted in the section above, wind energy facilities have been determined by the State to be inherently beneficial uses.

The AAC has expressed concern about the potential development of wind energy in the future. The Committee is apprehensive about the potential view shed impacts to what is otherwise a bucolic landscape.

The same document also raised concerns about the PennEast Pipeline (all non-issues in the real world) but that was to be expected. What might be surprising to some is Holland Township’s concern with the “proliferation of solar farms” and wind energy for some of the same reasons, mostly aesthetic. If preserving bucolic landscapes is the goal, we might ask how a solar or wind farm could possibly be less visually impactful than this pipeline near my home:

But, the bigger point is that energy choices, like doing anything else, involves tradeoffs and, as Tony Ingraffea learned to his regret in Ithaca, renewables are no easier to sell to NIMBYs than gas projects. The same people who oppose pipelines and power plants also oppose solar and wind when it’s tried on any scale.

Moreover, solar and wind are far more visually impactful and far more more land consuming per MW of energy produced than almost anything else. Holland Township has merely confirmed what I know from my professional experience in reviewing these projects for municipalities. Those opposed to gas also oppose solar and wind anywhere near their own properties, regardless of the worthiness of the project or their own previous statements supporting solar and wind elsewhere.

What Holland Township is learning, like so many others, is that there are no free energy lunches, despite everything Jeff Tittel and friends have told them. Energy production, like anything else, has impacts. We’ll see what happens with this proposed power plant. I can only imagine the opposition from Tracy Carluccio, Deputy Delaware Povertykeeper, who virtually runs the New Jersey Highlands Council, after all.

The post Holland Township Illustrates Renewables No Easy Substitute for Gas appeared first on Natural Gas Now.

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#shalebusinessinformation #dailyinformationonshaleindustry