Balsa wood logging for wind turbine blades is a nasty scene: Environmental degradation and human rig

[rangerrebew]

Balsa wood logging for wind turbine blades is a nasty scene: Environmental degradation and human rights abuses abound
May 07, 2025 · kollibri.substack.com ~~

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I get why the “green” energy narrative appeals to people. We do indeed need to de-carbonize our societies. We should leave fossil fuels in the ground. So people are relieved when presented with the idea that coal, oil and gas can be replaced by ostensibly “clean” alternatives like solar, wind, hydro and geothermal power, and battery storage.[1] For example, since electric vehicles lack tailpipe emissions, they must be a silver bullet.

However, the narrow focus on greenhouse gases paints an incomplete picture of the impacts of all of the above modes of energy production. Carbon is not even the only bad thing about burning fossil fuels, and as I wrote recently: “Emissions are SO not the only problem with cars.”

Crucially, when we look at “green” energy, we find many serious issues, among them:

Habitat destruction for siting wind farms, solar arrays, transmission lines, reservoirs, etc.
Child slave labor and other unjust practices implicated in critical material sourcing
We can now add coups for green energy to wars for oil, as seen in Bolivia
Lithium mining for storage batteries for intermittent sources like solar and wind inflicts a host of environmental impacts
Copper mining, which is essential for transmission lines is totally not green at all (another article by me)
All the other resource extraction and refining processes needed to manufacture “green” energy components have significant environmental impacts

https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2025/05/07/balsa-wood-logging-for-wind-turbine-blades-is-a-nasty-scene-environmental-degradation-and-human-rights-abuses-abound/

[Smokin Joe]

I don't buy into the basic premise. Any effect, if any, that humans have on the climate is so small (globally) as to be negligible compared to natural cycles. Huge changes in climate have occurred without our input, and that will continue.

I am of the opinion that any major climate shifts will require us to use all our technology (and perhaps more) for us to survive or flourish as a species. That includes energy sources, carbon based or not. Willfully crippling our ability to cope with natural changes is folly of the highest order.

But let's not destroy the environment in order to 'save' it.

[Sighlass]

A local lady (husband died years ago) had a huge Balsa tree in her yard but she got worried about it falling on her house. My sister at the time was big in carving (recreational) full size ferris-wheel horses. The best wood was Balsa, since it was a light wood that took less effort to carve. So she had dad (who knew everyone in town) approach the lady and buy some of the choice cuts (he had it lumbered for sis).

Sis used some for one piece she did (looks great, but she never painted it), and has stored the rest in her basement for 20 years or so now.

[DefiantMassRINO]

Big Green is a Big Fraud that is wastefully destroying wildlife habitats.  Just look at the palm oil plantations on Borneo.

They want to block the sun and dump crap in the ocean to slow Global Change.

Enough waste and nonsense.

CO₂ is not a pollutant.  It's necessary for photosynthesis ... a building block for life on Earth.  Instead of pumping it into acquifers, how about just planting some damn trees?

Everyone poops and farts, so get off methane's back.

Carbon is present in organic life; it's beyond dumb to criminalize an element of the Periodic Table of Elements.

[Smokin Joe]

Eat more beef! It takes a lot of grass to make a steak, and the grass will grow back, acting as a carbon sink. What isn't converted to beef will help the soil, and more grass to grow, etc.

Beef is a healthy, plant based food (the cattle convert the grass to beef).