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I know that Manitoulin Island is the largest island in a freshwater lake in the world. First Nations have lived on the island and nearby mainland for more than 10,000 years. This proposed wind factory has caused a lot of division in communities; between various Aboriginal tribes, some who wish the project to proceed and hope to gain financially and those who wish to see the lands and air remain untouched.
The turbine enthusiasts of yore are horrified at Flevoland where turbines sprouted arbitrarily in the landscape.
The turbines have become much bigger, environmentalists concede. They have become more understanding of protests against the visual pollution of the landscape, especially if it is allowed to go on without any cohesive environmental planning.
Also filed under [
Impact on Landscape|
Europe]
Few commercial enterprises could stay in business if they only managed to sell 50 percent of their inventory at well-above-market rates.
The difference with Cape Wind, of course, is that it's propped up by its powerful political cheerleaders, who are pulling out all the stops to make sure their pet project is a success.
Also filed under [
General|
Massachusetts]
The John Muir Trust is a wild land conservation charity. SNH statistics show that the percentage of Scotland's natural landscape visually unaffected by built development dropped from 41% in 2002 to 28% in 2009.
This was mostly due to industrial-scale wind developments and infra-structure.
Also filed under [
Impact on Landscape|
UK]
Should Cape push land-based turbines? Not until science answers many questions
April 4, 2011 in Cape Cod Times
April 4, 2011 in Cape Cod Times
Cape Codders should press policymakers to stop the nonsense, stop the betting with people's health and the enjoyment and value of their property. The gamble of an ill-sited wind turbine has no place in the halls of municipal or county government, let alone residential areas. Not until science can prove otherwise.
What's totally out of place is a monstrous pillar of white steel rising from the countryside, topped with its whirling three-bladed rotor. However, proving that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, one local told a National Public Radio reporter the turbine is "quite majestic."
But as soon as her majesty was switched on, residents began to complain: Wind One was as loud as an old Soviet helicopter.
Also filed under [
General|
Massachusetts]
Painful to the ears, and especially painful to the birds, the painful lesson environmentalists need to learn is that the answer to America’s growing energy needs is not blowing in the wind.
Also filed under [
General|
Massachusetts]
What is the hurry? My experience has shown the correlation between speed and quality is poor at best. ...Does the current administration want to be blaming poor forethought later because we "fast tracked" for a tax credit for Canadian Gaz Metro?
While the Liberals insist it's all about clean energy, a recent article in a British newspaper shows wind turbines are anything but green.
A story by Simon Parry and Ed Douglas in the Daily Mail, Jan. 29, describes a horrific toxic stew brewing in China as a result of our search for the great, green holy grail.
But a conference held in Denver earlier this month gave a sobering preview of major land decisions ahead for this nation. Experts at CLE International's convention on Historic Preservation and Tribal Consultation: Energy & Transmission Projects predicted that energy projects will be bigger and come faster than any of us foresee, with great impacts on ethnographic and rural historic districts.
Because of ever increasing awareness of the negative consequences of locating turbines near residential areas, many bodies with more experience in turbine siting have been applying increasingly stringent standards. For example, see the February 2011 standards adopted by the Planning and Regulatory Sub-committee of the Cape Cod Commission.
With the Lowell Mountain wind project, timing (and money) is everything
February 21, 2011 in VT Digger
February 21, 2011 in VT Digger
If the governor were being ingenuous, he might advocate a moratorium on any proposed wind project until his secretary had completed her charge. ...We know why Shumlin and Powell cannot wait: Federal money available for this, otherwise, "never never" plan evaporates at midnight at the end of this year if the Certificate of Public Good is not in hand.
Let's not forget about all the jobs created by the wind turbine companies. The Noble Bliss wind farm, 17 jobs created. Cost per job to create $2,764 for a total cost of $46,988.
Sheldon Invenergy wind farm, nine jobs created. Cost per job to create $1,477,778 for a total cost of $13,300,002! Noble Wethersfield wind farm, three jobs created. Cost per job to create $612,228 for a total cost of $1,836,684. This is what the Wyoming County IDA states it cost us as taxpayers to gain only 29 jobs with the wind turbine companies.
Also filed under [
Impact on Landscape|
New York]
But anyone who has been close enough to such behemoths, either along the highways in southern Spain, on the coast of Nova Scotia, near the sand dunes on Prince Edward Island and in southern Alberta, knows that they are noisy and intrusive, regardless of their green credentials. Nobody in his right mind would want to live within earshot of these things.
In a paper entitled Windfarms: Time to Change Direction? the Northamptonshire branch of CPRE said the organisation should "re-evaluate" its support for [wind farms] in the light of new evidence suggesting "that the generation of electricity from wind is not an effective way of reducing carbon emissions".
There are lots of reasons for believing this, but the main one is probably the fact that there is as yet no economic way of storing electricity.
Solar Power Eclipse: A case study in the failure of green energy subsidies
January 25, 2011 in Wall Street Journal
January 25, 2011 in Wall Street Journal
All of this adds up to one more case study in the perils of politically allocated capital. Like President Obama, Mr. Patrick has advertised the illusion that governments can nurture new companies, even whole new industries, with targeted taxpayer "investments." This is the entire premise of the "clean energy" industry, most of which wouldn't exist without subsidies because it can't compete on a market basis.
The concerned citizen expects his or her protection to be the guiding principal employed when examining ALL projects, no matter their location. A power plant has it's own unique package of ills. It's comedic classification as a waste water treatment plant has served to bypass those ills, by-pass planning, zoning and health board review, and by-pass the special permit process design to give the common, concerned citizen their say!
What happened to the Town of Fairhaven's announced plans to put two commercial-sized wind turbines near their waste water treatment plant?
Is the wind turbine project going forward after the length of time the commercial venture was stalled by the growing number of opponents in Fairhaven?
Also filed under [
General|
Massachusetts]
Although I believe in finding green sources of energy I am deeply concerned about the preservation of the natural landscape, our greatest resource, especially in areas of scenic beauty and scientific importance. Unfortunately the Silcote Corners Wind Project pits one against the other.
Our concern and objective here is to assist in getting a full and accurate picture of what this sort of commercial, industrial-size power plant entails with factual information. In a larger sense, this will help explain the serious effects such a project in operation will mean for the health, safety, quality of life and property values in this area.
Also filed under [
General|
Massachusetts]