Dec 28, 2020
Editor s note: The year 2020 has been different, to say the least. As such, we decided to do our annual Year in Review a bit differently as well. This year provided some big issues, some less-than-pleasant news and some positive highlights sprinkled in between. While it isnât our goal to remind you of the bad times, we wanted to use this opportunity as a final door-closing to 2020 and celebrate optimistic expectations for 2021. From all of us at the Weatherford Democrat, we wish you a bright, safe and prosperous New Year!
The year 2020 started off with incumbents sweeping the March primaries in Parker County. Sheriff Larry Fowler moved on to the Nov. 3 election to face off against Libertarian Russell Hess after defeating three challengers in the primaries. Residents stepped up and stepped out to make their voices heard, and the early voting turnout surpassed that of 2016âs early voting numbers.
The letter-writer cited the “obvious and increasing commercial success” of wind and solar power. Not so. Both would fail without large research and development and operating subsidies. Wind is particularly problematic due to its very low energy density, high energy and materials inputs during construction, and the decommissioning nightmare (for the taxpayer) at the end of a turbine’s short life-span. Solar is somewhat more promising, but mainly at the residential level. Both wind and solar are unable to produce energy when we need it most. We should be investing in inventing new technologies instead. Stringent pollution controls in the west caused manufacturing to move to countries with less stringent controls – we simply exported our pollution. While the west is ramping down its coal-fired power stations, China is building around 300 new ones. Burning natural gas would be much better.