With apologies to Mark Twain/ Benjamin Disraeli,Ê there are lies, damn lies, and accounting.Ê Anyone who has followed the fortunes of Enron and World Com and their accounting firm Arthur Andersen knows that how things are accounted for can dramatically alter the apparent costs and benefits of a particular choice.Ê The recent proposal to add wind power to the energy mix for Columbia can be used to illustrate how the cost/benefit ratio of wind power changes when environmental accounting is used.

Environmental accounting has three guiding principles.Ê Benefit/Cost evaluations should consider: 1) indirect as well as direct costs; 2) long-term as well as short-term time frames; and 3) non-local as well as local impacts.

Traditionally accounted for, the direct cost of adding 5 megawatts of wind power to Columbia's energy sources will add 1% to each household bill or $36 a year for a bill averaging $300 a month.Ê However, there are indirect costs that could also be considered.Ê Nuclear power and fossil fuels have received federal subsidies of over $100 billion since 1948, dwarfing any subsidies for alternatives like wind. Taxpayer watchdog groups estimate taxes are up to 16% higher because of these and other subsidies.Ê Even a family with a modest income may be paying $60 to $100 a year for energy subsidies for nuclear and fossil fuels alone.

Another indirect cost is air pollution.Ê Burning coal produces sulfur and nitrogen compounds, particulate matter (PM) and mercury.Ê The sulfur, nitrogen, and PM can increase cases of asthma and hospital admissions due to respiratory and/or cardiac distress, cause lung tissue damage, and promote cancer.Ê For the province ofÊ Ontario, the local Medical Association estimates that there are 1900 premature deaths, 23,000 hospital visits and 46 million illnesses annually due to air pollution. All of this adds up to $10 billion in economic losses from decreased worker productivity and health care costs or a cost of $869 per person.Ê The mercury, which occurs naturally in coal and is released when it burns, can cause damage to the brain, kidneys and to developing fetuses.Ê

Long -term time frames would include costs of disposal of the radioactive waste and decommissioning of the nuclear plants at the end of their useful lives (at an average cost of $300 to $400 million).Ê Companies must set aside money in a trust fund to pay for decommissioning; however, the estimates depend on the federal government assuming responsibility for the spent reactor fuel and transporting it to a facility like Yucca Mountain. Even if Yucca Mountain is approved - and DOE has not demonstrated the radioactive material can be safely stored for 10,000 years as required by EPA, plus Nevada has challenged the decision to store the waste at Yucca Mountain - it is not designed to handle all current waste and waste that will continue to be generated over the next 20 years. Therefore, we should plan on additional federal subsidies for nuclear power to build another Yucca Mountain.

Non-local impacts are environmental and health costs born by populations that are out of proportion to the benefit they receive.Ê For example, to reduce costs, coal companies mining in West Virginia want to remove the top of mountains to reach the coal, and then dispose of the mountain tops in the streams draining the mountains.Ê The people benefiting from the reduced cost of coal do not have to live with mountain top removal or with the pollution of local streams and rivers.Ê Likewise, the money local electric utilities have saved by not fixing pollution problems when plants were modernized, ends up costing communities downwind of plants in terms of increased sulfur, nitrogen, PM and mercury.ÊÊ That is why the Justice department is suing 25 utility companies in seven states for failing to install pollution controls when the plants were upgraded.Ê If the lawsuit is successful, costs would shift from the downwind communities back to the utilities and their customers.Ê

(Other concerns about wind are that it is unreliable and that the blades may harm birds.Ê Wind currently supplies 3.5% of Germany's power needs and over 10% of Denmark's, and is the fastest growing - 15% - energy technology world wide.Ê The global market doesn't appear to be concerned about wind's reliability.Ê Furthermore, new technology in batteries and fuel cells should make wind power even more viable.Ê Most bird studies have shown that birds adjust fairly quickly to wind turbines, especially the newer models with larger, slower blades.Ê Actually, many more birds are killed now by existing transmission lines, cats and collisions with cars.)

So Columbians can choose wind power for possibly an extra $36 a year, or we can continue with "cheaper" coal and nuclear for up to $100 in annual federal subsidies, increased health costs of nearly $900 per person per year, unknown long-term costs of nuclear waste disposal, and unknown liabilities for environmental and health damage for down wind states - not to mention what coal mining is doing to the communities that have to live with it.Ê If the extra 1% is that much of a drawback, maybe the city can partner wind power with encouraging people to take advantage of its energy conservation program to reduce their energy use by 1%.Ê The individual consumer will break even, the city willÊ need less power and the "impractical" environmentalists will finally get to use wind power.ÊÊ

For More Information:
Ontario Medical Association (technical report on health costs of air pollution) - http://www.oma.org/phealth/smogexec.htm
Sustainable Minnesota (extensive list of wind energy links) - http://www.me3.org/issues/wind/

Bioregional Quiz:
How suitable is Missouri for generating wind power?

Job Opportunity: Wind Energy Sales Specialist Second Wind Inc., Somerville MA. Growing renewable energy company seeks smart, motivated, and creative person to fill entry-level sales/marketing position. Second Wind Inc. offers a great opportunity to learn and advance in the renewable energy industry. Join our sales/marketing team to offer and support our wind energy data collection systems to new and existing customers. Qualifications: Cooperation, independent work, initiative, and solid judgment. Enthusiastic person with excellent English communications skills and the ability to learn on the job quickly. Good Microsoft Office skills are required, familiarity with ACT! or another contact manager a plus. Strong problem-solving skills, and ability to keep up with a fast-paced work environment are a must. Comfortable with math and engineering concepts. Data analysis experience is helpful. Some travel required. Compensation: Second Wind Inc. is hi-tech, casual and fun. A small company with big-company benefits (100% health insurance coverage, 401K, profit sharing), with over 20 years in the renewable energy industry. Salary is in the mid-$20,000Õs, base, plus sales incentive, commensurate with experience. To Apply: Please send a convincing cover letter, rŽsumŽ, and a list of three references (no telephone calls, please) to: W. Rose, Second Wind Inc., 366 Summer St, Somerville MA 02144-3132 or Electronic mail: wrose@secondwind.com

Special Events/Classes/Programs/Talks
HUMMINGBIRD LESSONS: Saturday August 31 at 4 pm at Wild Haven. Taking advantage of their fall migration, the Audubon Society will demonstrate banding and how to tell immature from mature hummingbirds. call 445-0086 for info
PARK IN THE DARK: Saturday July 20 from 8 - 10:30 pm at Rock Bridge Memorial State Park. Naturalists will introduce you to night active animals and other features of the park at night.
SUMMER HIKES: Saturday July 13 at 10 am at the Karst Trail Head at Rock Bridge State Park and Saturday July 27 at 10 am at the Grassland Trail Head at Rock Bridge. See something besides the DevilÕs Ice Box! see http://rockbridge.missouri.org/ for info
PRAIRIE HIKE: Saturday July 27, contact the Native Plant Society for more info http://digmo.com/~npsboco/
PRAIRIE GARDEN TRUST (NEW BLOOMFIELD): Saturday July 13 lv Columbia at 9:30 wildonesmo@yahoo.com for info
CHEFS IN GARDEN TOUR AND DINNER: Sunday July 9. Fundraiser for the Community Garden Coalition. Features local chefs, local produce and local gardens. cgc.missouri.edu for info

MU Organization Meetings and Contact Information
ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS COUNCIL 882-7116; envstudy@missouri.edu
ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES EXEC COM 882-7116; envstudy@missouri.edu
RECYCLING COMMITTEE 882-3091 125 General Services Building

Organization Meetings and Contact Information
AUDUBON SOCIETY; 874-3904 / columbia-audubon.missouri.org Meet 3rd Wed 7:30 pm, USGS, 4200 New Haven
BONNE FEMME WATERSHED PARTNERSHIP; 874-1637 or email phoeniwolf@yahoo.com
BOONE COUNTY SMART GROWTH COALITION; http://smartgrowth.missouri.org/, 1st Wednesdays 7:15 Boone Co Govt Ctr. CHOUTEAU GROTTO; http://chouteau.missouri.org/, Meet 1st Wed, 7 pm, Community Room of the Boone Electric Coop
COLUMBIA FOOD CIRCLE; 882-7463 or email hendricksonm@missouri.edu for information.
COLUMBIA PUBLIC WORKS VOLUNTEER PROGRAMS; 874-6271 or http://www.ci.columbia.mo.us/dept/pubw/
COMMUNITY STORMWATER PROJECT: http://www.GoColumbiaMo.com/PublicWorks/StormWater/cswp.html
ENV EDUCATION WORKSHOPS AND CONFERENCES: http://www.conservation.state.mo.us/teacher/workshops/
FRIENDS OF ROCK BRIDGE STATE PARK; 474-7429 or http://rockbridge.missouri.org/ Meet 4th Tuesdays, 7 pm
GREENBELT COALITION; 442-4789 or http://greenbelt.missouri.org Meet 1st Tuesdays, 7 pm, Outdoors Bldg, 200 Old 63 S.
MISSOURI HEARTWOOD; 443-6832 or http://www.heartwood.org/MO/ Meet Tuesdays, 7:30 pm -1027 E. Walnut.
MISSOURI NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY; npshawth@hotmail.com Meet every other second Monday (Jan, Mar, May, July, Sept, Nov) at 7:00 p.m., usually at MDC Fish and Wildlife Research Center, 1110 S. College Ave., Columbia, MO.
MISSOURI RIVER COMMUNITIES NETWORK; 443-0292 or http://mrcn.missouri.org/
PEDNET COALITION; email: pednet@pednet.org or http://www.pednet.org
ROCK BRIDGE MEMORIAL STATE PARK; 449-7402 or http://rockbridge.missouri.org
SHOW ME CLEAN STREAMS COALITION; (573) 751-4115 ext 3169 or www.mostreamteam.org
SIERRA CLUB; 443-4401 or http://sierra.osage.missouri.org Meet 3rd Tuesdays 7:30 pm Hillel Foundation, 1107 University Ave
SMART GROWTH COALITION; tomvmoran@yahoo.com Meet 1st Wednesdays, 7:15 pm, Boone County Government Bldg.
WILD ONES; 499-3749 or email wildonesmo@yahoo.com, http://wildones.missouri.org Meetings 2nd Saturdays. Call for location

Answer to BioRegional Quiz:
A wind energy resource atlas of the United States [http://rredc.nrel.gov/ wind/pubs/atlas/maps/chap2/2-01m.html] shows that areas potentially suitable for wind energy applications are dispersed throughout much of the United States. Estimates of the wind resource in this atlas are expressed in wind power classes ranging from class 1 to class 7, with each class representing a range of mean wind power density or equivalent mean speed at specified heights above the ground (see table at http://www.nrel.gov/wind/ potential.html). Areas designated class 4 or greater are suitable with advanced wind turbine technology under development today. Power class 3 areas may be suitable for future generation technology (year 2000 and beyond). Class 2 areas are marginal and class 1 areas unsuitable for wind energy development. Missouri is mostly class 2, with a class 3 section through the southwest to the St. Francois Mountains, and a class 1 section in the bootheel. Boone County and Columbia are class 2 which can generate 200 - 300 W/m2