LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

‘Green’ energy comes at a cost, helps little

5/18/2014

Blade Editor David Kushma advocated continuing Ohio’s “green” energy mandates in his May 11 op-ed column, “Climate change isn’t a threat to Ohio — it’s real, now.” One of his reasons for maintaining these mandates is that warming water temperatures enhance algae growth in Lake Erie.

Such mandates often come with unintended negative environmental consequences. One of the primary causes of recent spikes in Lake Erie algae levels is increased runoff of agricultural fertilizers.

These increased runoffs are partially due to a federal clean energy mandate that resulted in massive increases in the demand for corn to produce ethanol for green fuels.

Further, green wind energy in the Lake Erie basin poses a threat to migrating birds.

Ohio’s green energy mandates come with substantial and certain costs to local businesses and consumers. Yet these mandates will do little to abate global levels of carbon dioxide.

DOUGLAS OLIVER

Shakespeare Lane