Lured by generous state subsidies, the wind industry is having its day in the sun breeze in upstate New York. But the scramble for turbine-friendly land has led to complaints of corruption and caused schisms in rural communities. At least two wind companies are being investigated for shady dealings, and evidence of possible improper influence or conflicts of interest have emerged in at least 12 counties. Some residents decry what they say is a none-too-polite, get-out-of-my-way mentality by Big Wind, and say the turbines spoil views, ruin the quiet, threaten land and wildlife, and cause unnecessary conflict. "Is it worth destroying families, pitting neighbor against neighbor, father against son?" says electrician John Yancey. "Is it worth destroying a whole way of life?" Others, however, see job growth, tax revenue, clean energy, and much-needed money. It's a "once-in-lifetime chance at prosperity," says retired dairy farmer Bill Burke. "[Y]ou would have to be a fool not to participate, to be excited and take advantage of it."
source: The New York Times, Associated Press
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Comments
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savee419 Posted 6:07 am
18 Aug 2008
"Is it worth destroying families, pitting neighbor against neighbor, father against son?"
What issue is he talking about again? As far as I am concerned these questions could be asked about voting, education, religion, health care, economics, etc.
Is anything worth those divisions? What is he trying to say here? We should not change things because it will divide us as a nation or as neighbors or as family?
If you are worried that difference of opinion will divide your family forever - I would hate to be in your family!
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Boyscientist Posted 12:13 am
19 Aug 2008
So when some complain that the view out their living room window is spoiled by some large pinwheels on the horizon, it doesn't go far.
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Wolverine Posted 2:35 am
19 Aug 2008
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mskellyann Posted 3:44 am
19 Aug 2008
I already dislike wind power for its extreme landscape-altering abilties. This is not an aesthetic concern: I think that, once many landscapes are dominated by windfarms, they will be seen as more "ours," that the turbines will put a human stamp of ownership on the land. That is unacceptable to me. The last thing we need to do right now is to mark more of the land as dominated by human beings.
But there are other problems, too. Like the rural poor getting bribed into hosting turbines that harm their sleep and their health. Like poor rural communities becoming further devalued and disrupted by developers who only see the bottom line, who want to build lucrative power-exporting plants. Like the communities themselves selling out, and being left bitter and hopeless when they realize they can't renege.
Evidently, this is already happening.
I live in a relatively poor, rural farming community, and I can tell you, people leasing their land to wind developers and shutting down their farms WILL destroy a way of life.
People move to where I live for the tranquility, to learn to revive skills and crafts that have almost died out in the last 100 years, and to make art. Same as the areas discussed in these articles. Now people who've lived there for decades are moving away - they can't sleep because of the noise and the landscape is ruined by those big man-made turbines. I understand their anger.
This side of wind power is something that environmentalists must understand before they ask rural folks to sell out.
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mskellyann Posted 3:48 am
19 Aug 2008
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stopgreenpath Posted 4:40 am
20 Aug 2008
They are the same mentality as all Big Energy Monopolists and will use bribes, intimidation and ruthless tactics to force us back into an unneeded centralized energy system, right when we are poised to break free of them. Their processes are extremely harmful to the environment, and to the communities they target. They divert taxpayer and ratepayer money from more deserving programs like subsidies for point of use renewables and conservation tech.
In the immortal words of George W. Bush: Fool me once. Fool me twice. Won't get fooled again.
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