by Molly McGuire

Created on: October 22, 2009   Last Updated: October 24, 2009

Alternative sources of energy are often presented as the cure-all to wean our techno-society away from fossil fuels and steer us toward a more sustainable path. Unfortunately, many of these energy alternatives are promoted by big business, and may be just as environmentally damaging as the sources used for the last century.

Though many people tout the benefits of ethanol as an alternative to oil, it may not be the best solution. While it does provide an alternative to petroleum-based fuels, it is most often created from

corn, and as such, removes a food source from the table. Raising corn strictly for ethanol causes the price to go up, and means less is exported to to needy countries that depend on the crop for food.

Other sources promoted to move us away from petroleum are solar and wind power. While these are both excellent alternatives to oil, they also present problems. Solar panels depend on several heavy metals, including cadmium, making disposal of the panels difficult, while wind energy depends on placing windmills in open places where they will be exposed to the greatest winds.

Unfortunately, wind farms pose a unique set challenges, especially when they are suggested for environmentally sensitive areas. The recent debate over the proposed wind farm just off Cape Cod in Nantucket Sound met with disapproval from many local residents, including the late Senator Edward Kennedy. Though the idea of using wind to create energy is sound, the unknown repercussions, such as the vibrations they would create in the water, led many to question its use.

According to residents who live nearby a West Virginia wind farm, the turbines generate a constant noise equivalent to a helicopter that may travel as far as 3,000 feet as the 100-foot turbine blades whir about, or emit a shrill, screeching sound as the turbines rotate to catch available wind.

Another problem of these electricity-generating windmills involves wildlife safety. They pose a risk to bats, birds, and endangered birds of prey that may be killed by the sharp, spinning blades. A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Survey in 2002 found an estimated 37 birds were killed annually by each wind turbine in use in Europe. Bats, beneficial for both pollination and insect control, are also imperiled by wind turbines.

According to Dr. Merlin Tuttle, president of the group Bat Conservation International, bat kills are occurring in remote areas where wind turbines are placed, and in the fall of 2003, approximately 2,000 bats were

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