How toxic is renewable energy?

Dear Editor,

I expect that not many of your readers, like myself, have ever heard of PFAS, which is a toxic substance sprayed onto solar panels and windmill blades during manufacture, its job to reject moisture from the products.

PFAS, incidentally, is an acronym for Polyfluoroalkyl.

There should be prizes for anyone who can pronounce this word. Put in complete layman’s terms, the fear of environmental and human damage from PFAS is that after a few short years of service, the product is known to flake off the blades which in turn would contaminate the soil, which in turn would contaminate the vegetation which in turn would contaminate the animals, which in turn would contaminate the food humans ingest.

If that is an accurate summation of the possibilities, not far down the track with wind and solar, the whole Australian sheep and cattle industry could be destroyed. Accordingly, the Hay, Balranald and Buronga districts are being touted as the most suitable (and accepting) of large wind and solar developments.

I understand in the Wagga region there is a very vocal group of wind and solar supporters called NIMBYS, who do not want development on their prime agricultural land but are happy to see it on the ‘uninhabited’ south west of the state (i.e. Hay etc) NIMBY = Not in my Back Yard.

For people who read my letter and think the prospect of poisoning from wind and solar could not be possibly be true, I have obtained the following information: The risk is considered low but the symptoms of poisoning are fertility issues, changes to the immune system, increased risk of testicular and kidney cancer, liver damage and increased risk of thyroid cancer.

My view on wind and solar is that we can do without it. Australia should be directing its money and energy towards coal fired power (just like the Chinese and the Indians), more gas and in the long term, nuclear energy.

Well, Tertia, that is my two bobs’ worth. It will be interesting to see if my letter causes a reaction.

Yours sincerely, John Clark.