Landscape Destruction due to Energy Extraction

Introduction

There is inevitable landscape destruction when energy is extracted from the Earth. Surface coal mining requires the most destruction.

This is an attempt to provide information about the relative landscape destruction due to various kinds of energy extraction from the Earth and its atmosphere.

Oil Drilling | Coal Mining | Oil-Sands Mining | Iron Mining | Solar Farms | Wind Farms

Oil Drilling

Coal Mining

Surface Mountain-Top Coal Mining NE of Welch WV

Other WV Locations

Surface Coal Mine SE of Gillette, WY

Aerial Photos of Mountain-Top Removal

Coal Trains in Norfolk VA

Go to top

Oil-Sands Mining

Oil Sands Mine at Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada

Iron Mining (OK, so it's not energy, but it's necessary for energy)

Surface Iron Mine NE of Duluth, MN

Solar Farms

Solar Farm near Alvarado, Badjoz, Spain

Solar Tree in Styria, Austria

Solar Power Power Plant at Nellis Air Force Base, Clark County, Nevada

70,000 solar panels

50 Largest Photovoltaic Power Plants

Go to top

Wind Farms

Wind Farm NW of Thomas, WV

Wind Farm S of Altamont, CA

A Wind Turbine in Netherlands:

Go to top

Wind Turbine Failure near Weatherford, OK

Oklahoma Wind Center near Woodward, OK

Wind power to completely power the University of Oklahoma

Blue Canyon Wind Farm near Lawton, OK

Offshore Wind Row in Europe

Wind Farm in Irish Sea

Local Wind Turbines in Tocco da Cassauria, Italy

Pictures of Wind Farms around the World

Go to top