Today is Earth Day. And, no matter what you might prefer to think, fossil fuels have helped to dramatically improve and lengthen human lives. As the chart below shows, we will continue to rely on those fossil fuels for much of our energy consumption for decades into the future.
Interestingly while radical environmentalists love to trash coal as a “dirty” source of energy, Farmington, NM, which is adjacent to not one, but two power plants (Navajo and San Juan Generating Stations, was recently given extremely high marks for air quality by the American Lung Association. In fact, Farmington was:
- Ranked 1 for cleanest metropolitan areas in the country for 24-hour particle pollution
- Ranked 2 for cleanest metropolitan areas in the country for annual particle pollution
So, fossil fuels aren’t going anywhere. The good news is that living in close proximity to them doesn’t have a significant, negative impact on some major measures of air quality. And, these fossil fuels have probably been the single-largest factor in improving and lengthening human life on planet earth.
Where are the nuclear plants?
Not near Farmington that I know of.
Oh yes, and Albuquerque has the lowest crime rate in the nation, if we measure only thefts of shopping carts.
Particulates? Yes, very high in big cities where trucks and buses are concentrated. Ozone, methane, sulfur dioxide, NOx, mercury, benzene and unburned hydrocarbons might also deserve attention when measuring the lousy air in Farmington.
Please investors, don’t abandon fossil fuel stocks for the rapidly growing renewable future. The pollution is worth your money. (What pollution?)
Renewables clean???, only if you don’t look past the fuel:
https://bravenewclimate.com/2015/07/27/sustaining-the-wind-p1/
Sustaining the Wind Parts 1, 2 and 3
http://thebreakthrough.org/index.php/issues/energy/renewables-and-nuclear-at-a-glance
Renewables and Nuclear at a Glance
Perhaps you should tell the American Lung Association their study is wrong?
The same report gives San Juan county (and Bernalillo county) an F for ozone pollution. Their study is not wrong; it’s all about what gets gleaned and reported by people who have a spin to put on it.
Here’s the Lung Assoc. report:
http://www.lung.org/our-initiatives/healthy-air/sota/city-rankings/states/new-mexico/#ozonedays