True energy independence
I totally agree with David Dewitt that these letter-to-the-editor pages of the Ledger-Transcript are better than “intersection rallies” for constructive, respectful dialogue between folks with different points of view. And I thank the Ledger-Transcript for allowing us Monadnock region residents to express our thoughts in these pages.
In his most recent letter, Mr. Dewitt suggested that President Trump’s promotion of “energy independence” is a policy worth defending. I agree that energy independence is important for national security, for economic vitality and for Americans at every level—nation, state, town and individual.
But I suspect that continuing dependence on fossil fuels, as advocated by President Trump, leads in the opposite direction, away from independence. Prices for fossil fuels will continue to rise as easily accessible supplies are exhausted. In contrast, sunshine and wind are free.
If we depend on fossil fuels here in New Hampshire, we are forced to send money out of state, to fossil fuel suppliers. In contrast, if we build solar panels and wind turbines here, our state economy benefits.
The Ukraine-Russia war demonstrates that, if we rely on fossil-fuel-fired power plants for electricity generation, those power plants are easy targets for drone attacks. In contrast, solar panels and wind turbines are disbursed over large areas, and they don’t burn if directly hit by a drone.
So, yes, Mr. Dewitt, energy independence is a good thing, but in my view, not all forms of energy generation lead to true independence. I would be interested to read your views in a future edition of this newspaper.