We are going backwards and don’t even realize it. In our effort to do something but do nothing, we have not stood up for our freedoms, protected our friends and families or our communities and land.

Now we have large corporations trying to sneak in without us knowing, and put wind turbines and large solar farms in Lincoln County, Nebraska. This is the same group of environmentalists who managed to convince us CO2 was bad and now we have expensive, unnecessary regulations that continue to feed rising operating costs for farmers and ranchers which is passed along to us, the consumer.

In a quote from the article “Wind Power Fails on Every Count:” Oxford Scientist Explains the Math” by Naveen Athrappully, from the Epoch Times, Dr. Wallace Manheimer said, “It has somehow managed to convince many that CO2 in the atmosphere, a gas necessary for life on earth, one which we exhale with every breath, is an environmental poison. Multiple scientific theories and measurements show that there is no climate crisis. Over the period of human civilization, the temperature has oscillated between quite a few warm and cold periods, with many of the warm periods being even warmer than today. During geological times, it and the carbon dioxide level have been all over the place with no correlation between them.”

Manheimer is a retired U.S. Naval Research Laboratory Scientist. 

How can turning more oxygen producing areas into cement, steel, fiberglass, and resin or plastic that don’t last or pay for themselves help us? Now we have to look ahead at why wind energy and solar continue being pushed upon us, even though they cannot sustain large populations, and use huge amounts of resources that are better used elsewhere.

The damage to the land includes huge holes and cement that is expensive to haul away. The dirt would have to be hauled in to make the land grow anything where the cement was, because cement contains lime that bleeds into the soil when it gets wet. The excess lime will mix with water to create a high pH level in the soil that is harmful to plants. Not to mention the huge grants and tax incentives these projects get to get started are not there when the turbines need to be replaced or removed. 

Disturbing the Sandhills fragile ecosystem will have long term consequences, including but not limited to large blowouts forming, interrupted bird migration patterns and death of many birds, a larger oil consumption to run and maintain the turbines, zoning issues and noise. Our effective, efficient Gerald Gentleman Plant has given us the best power to date, as well as jobs for our community. It provides energy without blackouts and shutdowns and does not need the short-term competition from something that is going to end up in a non-recyclable landfill in Gillette, Wyo. and will consume excessive amounts of oil and needs dirt hauled in if one is able to afford to tear out the huge base of concrete.

The concrete base for the wind turbine is 9 feet thick and 60 feet in diameter and requires 30-40 truckloads of concrete, that is, if you have or can hire the tear-down crew to put the wind turbine or solar panels in a landfill.

There are a lot of articles about the waste and ineffectiveness of wind turbines and solar panels. We have to be able to discern the difference between something good and something that looks good on paper but doesn’t function in real life.  

All of this leads up to the upcoming review of whether Lincoln County will approve wind turbine and solar panel projects or look at their unsuccessful history and protect our fragile ecosystem.

Companies are planning to build wind turbines in large areas of Lincoln County, just waiting for the green light.

A year ago, the county commissioners placed a moratorium on new wind energy projects until the applicable zoning regulations could be updated. The planning commission has reviewed and developed those updates for wind and solar energy.

Now, the commissioners will hold a public hearing on Monday, Oct. 2 in the Lincoln County Courthouse at 9 a.m.  

George Lauby of the North Platte Bulletin has reported the concerns about wind energy in previous Bulletin issues. And there are many articles also explaining the hazards of trying something, then seeing the negative effects and paying the consequences of undoing those actions.

Please make time to attend the meeting and be sure to let the commissioners know ahead of time how you feel about this proposal. The commissioners are: Joseph R. Hewgley 308-520-3100, Kent Weems 308-520-777, Micaela M. Wuehler 308-530-7338, Christopher D. Bruns 308-660-6049, and Jerry L. Woodruff 308-539-0475.

By Lana Klein, North Platte

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