Here is a prime example of what happens when corporations sink their venomous fangs into public news. If you only read the headline you would be correct in thinking “oh man, I didn’t know solar plants were so bad for us”.
Read the article, however, and you run into information like “According to the developer, the Amargosa (solar) plant would produce about 4.9 pounds of carbon monoxide per megawatt hour of electricity produced, compared with 822 pounds per megawatt hour for a natural gas plant.”
Wow, wait a minute. I thought you said the solar plants would WORSEN things? Worsen as in being more polluting than doing nothing? Sure. If I stopped breathing the Earth would have more oxygen. But I don’t plan on dying right now.
And sure, if plants here – where there is a lot of sun – replaces a more inefficient fossil fuel facility somewhere else, then yeah, the local environment may suffer a bit. Overall, however, we’re in better shape for it.
That said, measure the impact responsibly, and move forward if the plan looks to benefit more people than, say, plopping a few more oil derricks off the American coast. Yes, there is a cost to develop. But casting doubt on methods that are WAY more safe than those currently in use only earns you thirty pieces of silver and a reputation for being a corporate whore.
My other example of corporate propaganda comes from NPR, now apparently funded by Monsanto. In an article that should be touting the benefits of grass-fed beef – which should be obvious – the article snidely goes about trying to diminish what thinking people and our ancestors knew: animals each grass to survive when given a choice, not corn meal or the ground up bits of other animals.
Monsanto, and their paid NPR reporter, wants you to question what just seems right and obvious. Once again, why should I donate to put more of this filth on the air?
