Solar, wind farms are feasible solutions here

Charles Long, Henderson

Sunday, July 27, 2008 | 2:05 a.m.

Regarding Michael G. D’Amore’s Thursday letter, headlined “Gore’s solutions are totally impractical,” the writer asks how we can accomplish the former vice president’s plan without totally ruining the U.S. economy. But what part of creating vast new industries and very large numbers of jobs would cause a problem?

A program of this size, phased in over 10 years, would allow workers who might be displaced by new industries to be retrained. The industries themselves would have ample time to become part of the solution rather than part of the problem.

The writer also asks how to get it done without all the tree-huggers getting in the way. This is by far a more valid question, but one that can be answered. Eminent domain could be applied. But even the tree-huggers need not be a problem.

Take a drive on any freeway leaving Las Vegas and what do you see? Huge areas of flat, open, usually ugly areas of desert not being used for anything. The solar energy potential of Nevada is unlimited.

The writer also mentions that using 140 acres of solar panels provides only 33 percent of the electricity for Nellis Air Force Base. Given the size and complexity of that facility, I think that is a remarkable accomplishment.

I would personally prefer to drive my plug-in electric car past thousands of acres of solar and wind farms than flat, ugly brown dirt.