When it comes to energy production, there’s no such thing as a free lunch, unfortunately.
As the world begins its large-scale transition toward low-carbon energy sources, it is vital that the pros and cons of each type are well understood and the environmental impacts of renewable energy, small as they may be in comparison to coal and gas, are considered.
In two papers - published today in the journals Environmental Research Letters and Joule - Harvard University researchers find that the transition to wind or solar power in the U.S. would require five to 20 times more land than previously thought, and, if such large-scale wind farms were built, would warm average surface temperatures over the continental U.S. by 0.24 degrees Celsius.
You can read the rest @
https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2018/10/large-scale-wind-power-has-its-down-side/
By the way, hydropower has its own problems:
https://www.americanrivers.org/threats-solutions/energy-development/hydropower-climate-change/
And nuke power is a disaster.
So what's left? Solar power ... but I think a comprehensive assessment of its impact would reveal that it will warm the planet, too.
We need to decide as a species what our sources of energy will be and how that energy will be used. Every action and inaction has consequences for all of us.
Ignoring the needs of the poor while the rich fly over their heads in private jets just ain't gonna cut it anymore.
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