Environmentalists, the ones who tell us that global cooling, err global warming, err climate change, is caused by man and will destroy our way of life any day now, have pushed their agenda very successfully. Alternative energy sources aka renewable energy; cars that run on batteries; anti-mining and fossil fuel industries. But it seems that they have never really thought their diabolical plans all the way through.

We know that wind turbines have altered the migratory patterns of birds; do strange things to wildlife; don't work most of the time; the list goes on. We also know that you have to mine the materials in order to make wind turbines.

Solar energy farms, especially the ones that use mirrors to heat water and create steam kill birds in spectacular fashion. Any solar energy plant also needs a tremendous amount of space, often taking away ranch or farm land.

Another problem with solar energy is starting to rear its ugly head. The panels that collect the sun's heat don't last forever and must be replaced. They can also become damaged during use, from things like hailstorms.

Why does this all matter? Because toxic substances, like lead and cadmium are released into the environment. If a panel is broken and still in use, rainwater will leach the cadmium into the ground at an alarming rate. Cadmium is poisonous and a known carcinogen. Since solar panels are difficult and expensive to recycle, most are just thrown into landfills; where the lead and cadmium leach into the ground.

Microsoft is building a new facility in Fawn Lake, VA. The operation will run on solar energy from a 6350 acre farm nearby. 1.8 million panels will be erected containing an estimated 100,000 pounds of cadmium. How many panels will be leaching toxic chemicals into the environment? And what to do in 20 years as they need replacing?

It's kind of like the electric car debacle. Those batteries require materials that have to be mined and are also toxic to the environment when disposed of. Proponents either didn't think about that end game or they deliberately hid the consequences just as they are with solar energy.

Once again, the solution to a perceived problem is actually worse for us and our planet than the problem that liberal nut jobs were trying to solve. Maybe we can go back to riding horses or in carriages; I'm sure someone won't mind cleaning up the filth left a couple of hundred horses leaving their deposits on Bullard every day.