As we’ve pointed out in our Green Technology & Renewable Energy FAQs, so-called “clean” energy sources such as solar and wind become anything but, when harvested via industrial means. Each PV solar panel, each wind turbine, and every other proposal for generating electricity depends on mining, inherently destructive to the earth. In addition, each requires fossil fuels for mining, transportation, assembly, and installation. There’s nothing “sustainable” about any of it.
energy skeptic backs up some of our concerns with quick calculations on the reality of how many tons of what materials would be required to have wind turbines generate half of US electricity usage. Notably, it would take 52 years worth of worldwide steel production to build enough turbines. It’s interesting to look through the rest of the numbers too.
Bottom line: not only can’t we meet our current electricity usage with “renewables” like wind energy, but it’d be horribly destructive to try. It’s counterproductive, even dangerous, to hold onto fantasies of green energy saving us.