Opinions
Wind turbines and 'landscape beauty'
What effects will the wind turbines have on the hills and bluffs that provide “landscape beauty” to Monroe County? The hills and bluffs will have lost the quintessential ingredient of "landscape beauty" which I call "character.”
February 16, 2006
by James J. Hjelmgren, Tomah
in The Tomah Journal
There are numerous arguments echoing throughout the bluffs of Monroe County against the construction of wind turbines. The one argument against the turbines that seems to receive only distant whispers is that of “aesthetics.” Utilizing the word "aesthetics" these days seems to carry with it a very negative connotation. Heck, I don’t even think Howard Stern is permitted to say the word on his new radio program. “Aesthetics” vs. monetary gain is rarely a fair fight these days. Therefore, in the following paragraphs I shall substitute the word “aesthetics” for the phrase “landscape beauty.”
One of the great and unique aspects about our country is that most Americans appreciate “landscape beauty.” That’s why we Americans protect places like Yosemite, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Take away “landscape beauty” and these places don't exist. Yet we protect these places and guard them as though they were our own personal treasures. Each of these places is unique and whether or not you have ever visited any of them, you still care that they exist.
One of the great and unique aspects about our country is that most Americans appreciate “landscape beauty.” That’s why we Americans protect places like Yosemite, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Take away “landscape beauty” and these places don't exist. Yet we protect these places and guard them as though they were our own personal treasures. Each of these places is unique and whether or not you have ever visited any of them, you still care that they exist.
Does Monroe County possess a unique “landscape beauty” and if so, where does it exist? The answer is a resounding “yes” and it exists in them there hills and bluffs. We are not talking about some flat, Iowa, uneventful landscape that extends for hundreds of miles. We are talking about rolling hills and bluffs laced with oak filled forests that intertwine with dairy farms, cattle ranches, and homesteads. We are talking about a place that absolutely possesses a “landscape beauty” that is unique and is postcard and calendar worthy. We are talking about the place where folks who go on Sunday drives, drive.
What effects will the wind turbines have on the hills and bluffs that provide “landscape beauty” to Monroe County? The hills and bluffs will have lost the quintessential ingredient of "landscape beauty" which I call "character.” Character, whether in people or in landscape, is what makes life interesting and uncommon. If in the future my eyes and heart have the desire to gaze upon towering wind turbines, I would prefer to do so in a setting where their visual impacts are not at the expense of such a unique and cherished “landscape beauty.”
If you care about the “landscape beauty” of Monroe County, you need to get involved and get loud. Shhhhhhhhh, if you listen very closely, you can hear the distant wind turbines whispering “hush” to all the nay-sayers.
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Wisconsin
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Impact on Landscape
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