Comments on: Wyoming Gov. Calls Salazar’s Wind Power Remarks ‘Dumb’

By: Judge Throws Out Lawsuit Against Cape Wind | ecopolitology

Judge Throws Out Lawsuit Against Cape Wind | ecopolitology — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 02:39:15 +0000

[...] wind has the potential to meet 100 percent of U.S. electricity needs, a statement that some people, including Wyoming Governor Dave Freudenthal, said was wide of the [...]

By: Wyoming Gov. Freudenthal: Replacing Coal with Wind 'Ain't going to happen' | ecopolitology

Fri, 01 May 2009 04:22:18 +0000

[...] published at Red, Green and Blue] In response to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar’s recent comments that the offshore wind [...]

By: Andon Carling

Andon Carling — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 08:10:23 +0000

David is right. Wind farms will not take jobs and money away from Wyoming's economy. There is still a large demand for coal. At worst, wind farms will only transfer the coal jobs to healthier environments. There's one proposed for White Mountain (http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/Wyoming-Wind-Energy/73644966868), and research indicates it will create more than 300 jobs (permanent and temporary) and more than $50 million in direct tax revenue.

Better yet, it creates a more sustainable economy. While the state may run short on coal, there will always be wind.

By: Timothy B. Hurst

Timothy B. Hurst — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 11:46:08 +0000

YNP4-

Sounds like you are familiar with the snowmobiles in Yellowstone issue. Then I shouldn't need to explain to you about winter inversions and how they trap exhaust from snowmobiles close to the ground and the valley floor, creating major air pollution problems.

As far as newer cleaner-burning snow-machine engines being lumped in the same category with the traditional engines, you are absolutely right. So, while I disagree that it is not about protecting the environment, I agree that the rules could be rewritten to be more adaptive and allow some motorized use.

Dave-

I think you're right. I also think Freudenthal is using a scare tactic that has become popular among many of the entrenched energy interests – and that is saying something along the lines of: "wind and solar simply can not replace coal right now" – and no one is arguing that. But what Salazar (and he's not even the best example because Salazar is clearly in the camp of supporting carbon and capture research) and others are trying to do is create a place for renewables as legitimate parts of our energy mix.

By: David

David — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 11:17:42 +0000

As someone whose extended family are mostly coal miners in Wyoming, I can say that they don't care where their paycheck comes from. If a wind turbine manufacturer moved into town and offered a job that pays the same, with the same benefits, and was less stressful, they'd all start doing that. I think Governor Dave is rightfully worried about jobs in his state, but should stop listening to the execs at Peabody and Rio Tinto and start listening to the coal workers themselves.

By: YNP4everyone

YNP4everyone — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 07:58:17 +0000

Gee people visiting Yellowstone by snowmobile in the winter shouldn't be a political issue. The snowmobiles are all regulated and guides are required leading them through the park to see the beauty and majesty of the park with no lasting impact on the park.

In fact there are motorcycle engines in snowmobiles that aren't allowed in the park as a snowmobile but there is no second thought in allowing those same engines to tour the park in the summer in a motorcycle so it makes you aware that banning snowmobiles isn't about protecting the environment.