How can Alternative Energies be good when they require materials that
originated from places that all environmentalists say are "evil and
destructive"? Alternative Energies require "bad" materials for assembly,
such as ceramics, carbons, and metals from Mines, and sometimes plastics
and other carbon-based materials, which originate from Oil Wells and
Coal mines that environmental groups say are all "evil and destructive".
Even “natural” plant fiber materials require machinery and processing
and transportation, which also require metals, ceramics, and carbon.

 From where do we get the SOURCE materials for wind mills, fuel cells,
hydrogen and other alternative energies? Most solar electric panels
require ceramics and special elements, such as gallium, arsenic,
germanium, etc., that came from mines and smelters. Windmills require
metals (originally from mines and smelters). Passive and active solar
ventilation and tubing for houses usually require metals and sometimes
ceramics, which came from mines and smelters.

Environmental groups say that ALL Mining and Oil / Gas Wells are "bad"
and "evil", even with full-scale reclamations and restorations. So how
can we go to Alternative Energies when these requires materials that are
not accepted by the Environmentalists?

Even fuel cells require materials originally from mines and smelters.
Fuel cells have to have metals and / or ceramics for the containment,
tubing, chemical reactions, etc. The cells, containments and associated
materials use materials from mines and oil wells. Think about the
engineered things used to even make hydrogen fuel get started for
producing energy.

Look at the Periodic Table of all the elements of the earth. Hydrogen
(H2) is a usually a gas. When hydrogen is used in a chemical bonding or
mixture, it is usually released as a single free ion (H- or H+).
Sometimes getters are used to store and transport hydrogen.

It is the cells and containments and associated materials that use
materials from mines and oil wells. Go and look at the engineered things
used to even make hydrogen get started!

To make Hydrogen "burn" and gain energy from it, there must be the
chambers, vessels, tubing, connections and fittings. A characteristic of
Hydrogen is that is can embrittle materials over time, especially
certain types of metals and steels. Normally stainless steels or other
specialty metals are used for most Hydrogen activities. These steels and
steels are composed of iron and sometimes chromium and / or nickel to
control any corrosion from Hydrogen and also prevent embrittlement as
much as possible. The materials for steels ALL come from mines and smelters.

But how is hydrogen (H2 and the H ions) produced from water or other
source materials? Either in the reaction apparatus and chambers of the
cars or else in processing plants, both of which use metals and ceramics
and plastics. If we get H2 from the air, we get it from gas separators
which are composed of metals and other "bad" materials.

Environmentalist point to bicycles as environmentally-friendly
transportation. To make bicycles, manufacturers must get materials that
originated from mining operations (iron, molybdenum, aluminum, ceramics,
etc.), oil wells and coal mines for Carbon and plastic materials, and
sometime timber for wood. These materials are then processed in plants
that also use products from mining and oil wells, and use electricity.
How can this be "good" by any environmentalist's definitions?

Look at how many existing Wilderness Areas have abandoned oil / gas
wells and also mining sites within their boundaries. Why is that
permissible? How is it that reclamations of well drilling sites are
either ignored or denied by the environmental groups now? There have
been many private groups in the Pacific Northwest (like my grade school
in the 1960's) that went out and planted trees, grass, and shrubs in the
forests. We even saw some of the lumber companies replanting trees and
shrubs. But apparently, none of those good efforts count in the mind of
the environmental groups, as seen in recent publications and notifications.

Take a deeper look at what really is going on. Natural resources are
needed for everything in our lives, even medical items and alternative
energies. But when our natural resources are being closed up and as
reclamations are either ignored or badmouthed, we are loosing the
materials needed for our daily lives, even for the "nice" Alternative
Energies. As a final note, my 1990 car gets the same gas mileage GPM as
a modern hybrid car. Go figure.

In a publication from early 1992, the Sierra Club in Santa Fe openly
announced that oil / gas well drillers were still using lead-based (Pb)
lubricants. Never mind that the EPA banned their use several years
before in the mid-1980s and that the drilling industry had already
switched to biodegradable lubricants even before that. Never mind that
law enforcement and the EPA later on checked for compliance in the
industry. Also, there is new drilling technology, called Coiled Tubing,
that allows certain types of well drilling operations from the back of a
pickup, thus less impacts than the vehicles you drive. Why don't we
don't hear that from the Environmentalists.

Are you familiar with the wilderness near Ruidoso, NM, USA? The
wilderness boundaries "captured" some gold and silver / lead mines. The
government threatened to sue the mine and claim owners with EPA
Superfund status if they did not surrender the land for wilderness
designation. Now how is it that places that are supposedly EPA Superfund
sites can now be "wilderness" and untouched areas? The 1964 Wilderness
Act specified that undeveloped, untouched, and natural areas were to be
part of the wilderness areas.

Los Alamos, NM  USA