Look out, here they come. When I first heard about the wind turbines coming to the Valley, I did not have many thoughts on the subject. It all sounded interesting - good, clean renewable energy. It showed that the Valley was concerned about global warming and showing the world that we wanted to help. ...Then I started reading the signs - "Get informed, know the facts - know the risks."

It is inconceivable to me that (the Horizon Wind Farm) project has been promoted as a way to save farmland. ...I have heard ag pilots in Tazewell, McLean, and Livingston counties testify that they will not risk their lives to spray in a wind farm. Developers tell you that only 2 percent of the land will be taken out of production. They dismiss the need for aerial application as a vital part of farming. Developers say the farmer has the right to decide. That is true. But I believe developers have a moral obligation, if not a legal one, to tell the truth about the limitations wind turbines place on farming. And what about the farmer on the adjacent ground who is not receiving a lease payment and may lose his right to protect his crop because of his neighbor's turbine?

In my opinion it is unreasonable and irresponsible for Supervisor Rienbeck and the zoning law review committee to recommend any less setback from all of our public roads. The notion that the users of secondary or seasonal roads warrant less protection from potential harm than those using main roads is an absurd idea. I am discouraged that this review committee is resisting virtually every effort to significantly regulate the placement of wind turbines in Cape Vincent contrary to Mr. Rienbeck's claim.

The current fiscal catastrophe in Nevada is being further damaged by the governor's office, which has given carte blanche to alternative wind energy limited liability companies to move into Nevada and game the tax credit system and then to follow tax subsidies that are solely funded by taxpayer money.

It was great to see Essex County put a hold on wind farm projects. There are a lot of unanswered questions when it comes to this energy solution. ...Until one is up close to one of these giants, it is hard to comprehend their imposing nature. There is a place for wind farms, but it must not interfere with a person's right to enjoy their property.

Wyoming County, once labeled one of the most beautiful counties in the U.S., has come under siege to the unscrupulous "snake oil" salesmen of the industrial wind corporations. Approximately 200 of these massive 400-feet industrial scale oil-filled wind turbines litter the landscape as if someone indiscriminately threw giant darts in a slipshod fashion irreversibly devastating green hills, forests, wildlife with a failed technology that produces less than 1 percent of the nation's electricity.

As flawed as this [balloon] test was, and maybe even misleading to many, it sent a clear message: turbines of this scale are not appropriate for Cohasset, and are not fair to impose on its citizens. Rather than asking the developer to spend more money proving his case, the planning board should first rule on all the fatal flaws of the project that by any objective measure would terminate it.

Congratulations! Your community has been chosen to be the recipient of a vast number of wind turbines! What can you expect to happen?

Certainly, local farmers are entitled to earn a reasonable living. On the other hand, the rest of us are entitled to a quality of life and enjoyment of property. The underlying issue is that a small group of people formed met in secret to unilaterally decide that what is best for their own financial gain is best for the community. Her entreaty to "talk to the neighbours" is even more risible. The fact that this has been planned for two years and that the public is only now learning the detail and extent of this proposal is a case in point. To quote an old saying: "the fix is in".

Property values must ultimately be determined through professional appraisals and, if necessary, appeals. Meanwhile to confirm the obvious, ask a prospective buyer if they would still be interested in purchasing your home after learning that wind turbines will be constructed within the view shed of your property. Wyoming County landowners who are planning to "escape" the future onslaught of wind farms must be advised that the marketing of potentially encumbered property requires full disclosure ...Do not sacrifice your quality of life and that of your children as well as your most important financial investment by remaining passive and silent.

Concerning wind energy and the proposed wind farms in Oxford county, certainly health hazards to those who live near wind farms is a consideration. However, let's look at the legitimacy and desirability of wind power as a source of energy. At first glance wind power seems like a clean, renewable source of energy, part of the solution for global warming. However, wind power is unpredictable. Energy from industrial wind power can not be stored.

Let's look at Bird Island off the coast of Marion in the center of Buzzards Bay, and what towns around the bay have plans for commercial wind turbines. ...In several years, Bird Island, the largest nesting area of roseate terns in North America, will be surrounded by commercial wind turbines.

With growing concern, we read the report of radiologist Dr. Michael Nissenbaum's testimony about adverse health effects of wind farms, which are amplified over bodies of water. This is because First Wind is seeking permission from LURC to erect 17 wind turbines within a mile of Upper and Lower Hot Brook Lakes, just west of the Danforth town line which goes down the middle of the lakes.

I helped research the structural failure and noise aspects of wind turbine generators for the Health & Safety (H&S) subcommittee of the CREB (Committee for Renewable Energy for Barrington). CREB says it bases its recommendations only on objective data. If so, why did it selectively ignore research produced by its own H&S subcommittee?

The US Fish and Wildlife Service just completed a 97-page "biological opinion" that the 130-wind turbine project off Cape Cod will not harm the Roseate Terns. ...In several years Bird Island, the largest nesting area of Rosate Terns in North America in Buzzards Bay, will be surrounded by commercial wind turbines.

Harnessing the wind and doing all we can to utilize all kinds of clean, renewable energy sources should be the goal of all of us. But this particular technology is so far proving to be expensive, inefficient, and unreliable. So, Governor O'Malley, before wrecking our ridges, how about first going ahead with the offshore plan at Ocean City and see how it goes in terms of production and efficiency? (After all, on hazy days, we won't be able to see them ...

We live in an era where the use of alternate forms of energy are becoming increasingly important - perhaps even critical as fossil fuel supplies dwindle over the next 50 years. At the same time, the application of alternate solutions must be based upon common sense and hard facts based upon scientific research. In the case of wind power, for which the jury is still out, this requires even more scrutiny.

It is time for Ontario to work with citizens and environmental specialists to establish guidelines for the careful development of wind energy (Who Could Object To Wind Power? - Nov. 25). There are some places where wind turbines simply don't belong. ...Build wind developments in the wrong places and the environment will be collateral damage.

The decision to build the Tranquillon Ridge Wind Farm by county planners was made much too quickly and with the near exclusion of input from Lompoc. Mark these concerns: ...

The road to a cleaner, greener energy future is fraught with strife on Wolfe Island. The disruption and dust caused by the construction of 86 massive windmills has forced at least one couple to pack up and leave their island home of 17 years. ...If wind farms are the way of the future, and are to be promoted by the provincial government, then the province is obliged to study and learn from the mistakes of the Wolfe Island project and the negative effects it has produced.