I was so relieved this morning after I turned on my computer and saw that our Great Leader had answered a question that has been puzzling the nation for months. I never would have thought that the wind doesn’t blow sometimes.
Actually, Trump has jumped into high gear on his ignorance quota for the month with his observations on wind energy. USA Today says that Trump’s frequent mocking of wind energy this week is due to “frequently asked questions” guidance published by the Energy Department, although I doubt Trump has taken the time to read the webpage.
At a rally in Michigan on Thursday, Trump insisted that he “knows a lot about wind. If it doesn’t blow, you can forget about television for that night,” he said. And thinking he was being cute, Trump minced his words, adding, “Darling, I want to watch television.’ ‘I’m sorry! The wind isn’t blowing.’ I know a lot about wind.”
Trump made similar comments in a Wednesday interview with Fox News’s Sean Hannity as well as last week while speaking at a factory in Ohio. He told Sean Hannity that wind energy was unreliable because the wind “only blows sometimes.”
The president still believes that wind power is not a viable energy source because “it only blows sometimes” UgTzygyN35
— Josh Billinson (@jbillinson) March 28, 2019
As for Trump’s comments last week about wind energy in Ohio, climate expert Michael Mann, a professor of atmospheric science at Pennsylvania State University, summed up the president’s remarks: “Trump is a clown, but a dangerous, evil clown. He would happily mortgage the future of our children and grandchildren for the short-term profit of the fossil fuel interests whose bidding he’s doing,” reports the Huffington Post.
But let’s be clear about what wind energy does accomplish. First, and foremost, between wind and solar energy sources, coal-fired electrical generation has dropped to 30 percent of all power generation in this country. And wind energy is good for the economy. Renewables are far more affordable today than when they first came out.
“Wind energy is a domestic, reliable resource that provides more jobs per dollar invested than any other energy technology – more than five times that from coal or nuclear power, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. In 1994, wind-turbine and component manufacturers contributed directly to the economies of 44 states, creating thousands of jobs for Americans,” says the DOE on its “FAQ” page.
In response to the frequently-asked-question, “What happens to the electricity supply when the wind isn’t blowing?” the agency cites studies that say the power grid can handle a large amount of “variable renewable power without sacrificing reliability.” This is because of the strides made in storage batteries. Actually, wind variability doesn’t even make the list of challenges to wind power.
I guess my whole point is this – Trump continues to spout lies to make his position stronger with his base. And while that may be alright to those taken in by his magnetism, he is making himself look foolish to the rest of the world. Michael Mann calls him a clown, but I would go further and call him a jackass. Trump is a big windbag, but his remarks are just blowing in the wind.
