SDUT spreading myths about CDPA 2010
December 29th, 2009 Posted by Chris Clarke in DPC News, desert wildlife, renewable energy[Following is a letter to the editor DPC's Conservation Coordinator Terry Weiner crafted in response to the San Diego Union Tribune's misguided and simplistic editorial on the California Desert Protection Act of 2010.]
Dear Editor,
Thank you, Senator Feinstein, for introducing the California Desert Protection Act of 2010. The legislation, Senate Bill 2921, would protect large swaths of the California Desert from massive industrial solar development projects. This bill does not scuttle California’s goals to meet a greater percentage of its energy needs from renewable energy, as your editorial claims. What the bill does is help steer large-scale solar development away from sensitive and pristine desert public lands. Large-scale desert solar development involves scraping the soil from thousands of acres of desert, in the process destroying the desert soil crust, which holds nutrients, and ruins the desert soil’s ability to absorb carbon. Large-scale solar development also destroys fragile plants and desert animals. Senator Feinstein’s legislation would give incentives for developing renewable projects on disturbed private lands and direct development to degraded, low-habitat value public lands.
Our California Desert is under pressure from expansion of two of the fastest growing regions in the nation. Senator Feinstein’s legislation will help protect sensitive water resources, fragile wildlife resources, irreplaceable Native American Cultural resources and historic trails. This legislation will also protect the public’s access for camping, hunting, rock climbing, horseback riding and wildlife-viewing. The 351,000 acres of Bureau of Land Management Solar Energy Zones for renewable energy development projects will not be affected by the the California Desert Protection Act 2010.
Meanwhile, we citizens can help meet California’s renewable energy goals and help preserve our California deserts’ natural heritage by taking advantage of state and federal incentives to install solar panels and photovoltaic collectors on our rooftops, and by urging our local representatives to cover the thousands of acres of city and business rooftops and parking lots with solar collectors. Solar development in our cities will minimize the need for desert industrial solar projects and for hundreds of miles of transmission lines strung across wild lands far from the places where the energy is needed. If Germany can do it, so can California.
Terry Weiner
Conservation Coordinator
Desert Protective Council
3 Responses to “SDUT spreading myths about CDPA 2010”
By Victoria Hudgins on Dec 29, 2009
Though I am not fully educated in the political dynamics of this situation, I wanted to add a comment re: the SD Union Tribune.
Earlier this year the newspaper was sold to the Beverly Hills private equity firm, Platinum Equity. The newspaper had been on a steady decline for several years, but since the sale the marrow has been sucked from the bones of this Pulitzer Prize winning publication.
They have fired or laid off their top notch editorial people. U-T coverage is sparse. The once great reputation they had, they no longer deserve. This is not a newspaper; it is a drying corpse. Their managing editor, Karin Winner, has resigned, effective Dec. 31st.
I would not take seriously anything the Union Tribune prints. It is only fit for lining bird cages and wrapping fish entrails.
By Rob Hopwood on Dec 30, 2009
Terry,
Thank you for taking the time to write this thoughtful response to one of our editorials.
The editorial you disagree with was the opinion of our editorial board. We do welcome alternative points of view.
It appears you already have sent this letter to us, but if not, here is the information on how to do that:
E-mail: letters@uniontrib.com
Fax: (619) 260-5081
Best,
Rob Hopwood
Social Media Specialist
The San Diego Union-Tribune and SignOnSanDiego.com
By Chris Clarke on Dec 30, 2009
Thank you, Rob, for taking note of Terry’s response.