Green Wars

When it comes to green energy, it's green versus green:

Nationally, environmental activists push the expansion of renewable energy — solar, wind, etc. But when industries work to implement those initiatives at the community level, local greens scream at the impact on their community; they’d rather keep the land as it is.

Or the waters: Environmentalists are part of the coalition trying to stop a cable that would bring cheap hydropower electricity from Canada to the city, warning of risks to the Hudson.

Even “clean” power has environmental costs. Wind farms routinely kill endangered birds and bats. Solar plants wreak havoc on traditional farming. Hydroelectric dams disrupt the habitats of aquatic animals. And all require hundreds if not thousands of acres of land.

The benefits, on the other hand, tend to be exported. Utilities usually send the produced energy elsewhere, and any benefits from lower carbon production are global. Thus, local costs outweigh local benefits.

Greens are all for green energy-just as long as it's not in their back yard...