Solar Power on Wildlands: An Unnecessary Sacrifice

Editor's Note: The images and words of two desert advocates opposed the building of a solar power plant on undisturbed desert lands in Ivanpah Valley, California, recently set off a firestorm of email among desert environmentalists. The text below, from desert ecologist and Arizona State Representative Daniel R. Patterson, is a response to another response by the Sierra Club's Carl Zichella who says his organization is neither for or against the development. The acrimony underscores shows how tricky it can be to develop truly "green" solar and wind energy solutions.

Carl -- Show me the coal and gas plant(s) that will be shut down if all this big solar is built across the deserts? Unless current coal and gas plants are shut down now -- not simply trying to prevent new ones -- we only reduce increases in future emissions, which does nothing to help us meet the essential need to significantly cut current emissions.

No one is 'blocking' all renewable projects, as you suggest, people just want more distributed generation in cities where most power is used, and responsible siting, which Ivanpah and many other plans are not. You talk about mitigation and say this project is not approved, but what, if anything, have you done Carl to comment or raise any questions or concerns about bulldozing 5000 acres of the Ivanpah Valley, or similarly poorly-sited plans?

Your simplistic argument fails to address the solution of distributed generation in cities on rooftops. Big monopoly-model industrial solar on sensitive public lands like Ivanpah Valley (ever been there, Carl?) is hardly the only option, and you should know it. How about big solar on already disturbed ag lands in the central valley? I'm confident you'd agree that makes more sense than bulldozing off desert habitat. Only problem is many energy speculators don't want to buy land, they want BLM public lands lands for cheap, and right now you are helping enable them to get it.

You are right, Carl, these are 'difficult decisions' but it seems to me you are OK sitting in your Sacramento office getting paid to go along with sacrificing huge areas of sensitive desert public lands in the name of 'green' energy.

Don't feel too bad Carl, as you are not the only envirocrat doing little to protect deserts from big energy industrialization. Too many other 'green' orgs are similarly lame, and our fragile deserts will likely suffer for it. Meanwhile, current US coal and gas plants will keep on burning.

I'm doing something real about global warming. I ride a bike and my family and I live in a solar powered house, do you, Carl?

Carl, you have my respect and have done a lot of good for the environment over the years, but you really have lost your way here.

Article posted on May 18, 2009

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