Solar Photovoltaics in the Desert: Under Attack

At the Nature Conservancy’s “Green Event for Georgetown Alumni” I attended last Thursday I received some shocking news: mainstream environmentalists really are attacking solar energy sited in the deserts of the U.S. southwest on the basis of its ecological footprint.  The presenter devoted at least 15 minutes of her talk to the idea that the solar industry and the state/federal government are aggressively short-cutting the permit process in a mad, greedy rush to deploy solar, and talked about her organization’s progress in making this cease, on the basis that the land has greater value as habitat for the desert tortoise and the cryptobiotic soil crusts. 

When I overcame my astonishment, I thought for a minute before proceeding.  I didn’t want to come off as offensive, but I realized I needed to challenge the speaker on a few points.  I began:

“Look, we’re all on the same team here, aren’t we?  We live on a small planet with a growing, energy-hungry population whose needs are largely fed by burning fossil fuels – a process that’s quickly and clearly ruining our planet.  If you want to go after something, why not pick coal?  Obviously, we’re all in favor of siting solar and wind where they will do the least damage to the environment, but your work in getting legal injunctions to stop these projects is causing far more harm than good.”

Another participant asked the speaker: “Isn’t the environmental cost of manufacturing and installing solar PV greater than the value of the clean electricity?” 

The response: “I’ve heard that; I’m not really sure.” 

The truth: Of course not.  Here’s a piece on the hazardous materials and lifecycle emissions associated with PV. 

My opinion: people speaking publicly on solar should know this stuff. 

An observation: I expect this type of disinformation from the fossil fuel industry, but to hear it from the environmentalists was shocking. 

The presenter went on to note that the soil crusts absorb as much CO2 per acre as forests do, and asked, “We wouldn’t cut down a forest to install PV, would we?”  Well, the premise is completely incorrect.  While cryptobiotic soil crusts do sequester some CO2 (and a bit more each year as the atmospheric concentrations continue to rise), this effect is microscopic compared with a forest.  Again, how hard would it have been to look this stuff up and figure out how to present it correctly and fairly?

After the event concluded and I stood mingling with the other participants, I could sense that I wasn’t the favorite person in the room.  I suppose that defending a position always comes at a cost.  A few minutes later, I called for an elevator to take me back down to the ground level. When the doors closed and I was alone, I put my face in my hands and muttered to myself, “Holy cow.  Are we doomed, or what?”