Assuming you even tried digging, that's a shame. It is also hard to judge (without getting a subscription) if the opinion piece only focuses on the resources required to build, maintain, and decommission traditional wind-driven power generators. Does it compare that cost to that of running traditional utilities plants?
It would have shown you that while the production of a regular windturbine does consume resources (and provides a lot of jobs), the net result over the lifespan of such a device is positive, and that's not only if you look at the cost/benefit ratio. If you then look at the amount of carbon (and other) emissions that was avoided by running it (producing clean energy) instead of burning fossil fuel, the balance tips even more in favor of wind energy.
Also, there are different types of windmill designs (VAWT), more easy to maintain, and more efficient at lower wind-speeds (and thus usable in urbanized environments), and can be packed much closer together to create wind parks.
Cheers,
Bart
Every article that I have read that looks at real life data over the
entire power supply chain (manufacturing, product of power, transportation of power, etc.) shows that the cost of wind/solar is considerably higher than other traditional power production.
Even many environmentalist that are pro-wind/solar admit that neither will ever be a base load power source just due to the expense, massive amount of land required to produce the same amount of energy and, most importantly, that wind/solar are so intermittent.
Additionally, all those extra jobs mean that more money will need to be allocated to payroll, which raises the price of power. Having power that is too expensive will evetually weaken the overall economy.
All of this, by the way, is being proven by Germany. Their carbon emissions have not gone down and their energy prices have gone up. "Energy poverty" is a new term coined in Germany as a result of power being so much higher then neighboring countries it is putting people into poverty.
It's time for us to give up on wind/solar and go all in on nuclear, otherwise our climate crisis will never be solved.