An informational event on solar power will be held next week in Brighton.
Called, “Solar Panels: Benefits and Misinformation,” it will be held on Wednesday, March 15th at 7 p.m. at the Brighton District Library.
The live presentation will be feature Mike Buza, Chair of the Sierra Club Nepessing group, which represents Sierra Club members in Genesee, Lapeer and northern Oakland Counties. It is sponsored by the Sierra Club Crossroads Group, which represents club members in Livingston County.
According to a release, Buza “has attended over 100 township meetings over the last five years to speak to the benefits of renewable energy,” adding that it will “cover where we stand in the current climate crisis and how the fossil fuel industry deceives large groups of people. He will discuss common misconceptions, disinformation and future political and technological trends.”
The issue of solar power has gained much public attention in the last several months as proposals for large solar power farms have been floated in Handy, Cohoctah and Marion townships, all generating heated opposition by residents claiming potential concerns about large-scale solar projects, including negative environmental impacts due to the toxic substances inside the panels, drainage issues such a project could create and the potential to see property values decrease.
Buza has noted previously that the fossil fuel industry is very much responsible for peddling and perpetuating falsehoods about renewable energy sources. While it might be strange to consider the connection between rural agriculture and oil conglomerates, Buza explained that approximately 8% of all farmland is used to grow corn. Corn yields ethanol, which is then used to supplement gasoline for fuel. As a result, Buza says billions of dollars have been allocated toward the distribution of misinformation about sustainable practices.
The event is free and open to the public.
