Sunday Morning Blog

January 08, 2006

Debunking Wind Energy Proponent Stereotypes

Cape Cod is currently at the center of what has become the frontline battle for this country's progress on clean power. The debate over a proposed offshore wind farm here, in the shallows of Nantucket Sound, has exposed several serious misconceptions that apparently exist about wind farm supporters. I think it is worth debunking several of the common myths that have been tossed about.

1. Wind farm supporters do not care about animals.

This is a myth being perpetuated by fanatical animal rights activists. In reality, like their fellow wildlife loving accusers, most wind farm supporters are not only pro-environment, many have also dedicated much of their lives to the protection of our wildlife. Most wind power/wildlife concerns are related to birds flying into the blades of wind turbines. Improper siting of early wind farms in Spain and the United States has been the cause of major bird kills, but this should not be cause for carrying the resulting fears to such extremes.

If you do some research on this subject, it becomes apparent that these fears are primarily the result of old school wind technologies and poor placement. With modern wind turbines, the only issue should be selecting and analyzing their proper siting. Wind technologies have the support of hundreds of longtime, respected organizations dedicated to wildlife advocacy. Most telling of these, is the wind technology promotion of such bird friendly organizations as the Audubon Society and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (just to name a couple). Proper siting of wind farms has proven to have little or no effect on surrounding wildlife, and the many benefits of clean power, to both humans and animals, are proven by both common sense and solid research.

Unfortunately, birds fly into things... especially man made things. I can attest to this from my own experiences as a cyclist (birds very often fly into cars and trucks, and are a common sight on the roadside). I have also personally aided in the rehabilitation of injured birds that have collided with vehicles, windows, or have been otherwise injured by man made constructions or some form of our destruction. If it seems that I have gone off on a tangent about this particular stereotype, that is probably because it is the one I am most offended by. There are no agreed upon plans that I know of for us all to give up our modern lifestyles and return to our cave dwelling ways. We humans are here to stay. Whether or not this fact is unfortunate for wildlife is a matter of personal perspective. I believe that a big part of earning our rights as humans is taking responsibility for the protection of nature and the environment. I do not care if a person is a hunter or a naturalist, their ultimate responsibility should be to preserve and protect all that they come in contact with. I also believe both of these are capable of this, and have a right to claim that they are good environmental stewards. Regardless, wind farm supporters can be much more accurately compared to responsible naturalists, than the irresponsible hunters which opponents of wind farms are attempting to portray them as.

Wind farm supporters love wildlife too (and I'm not talking about parties).

2. Wind farm supporters are ignoring real conservation efforts and other technologies in their quest for a “quick fix” solution.

Show me a dedicated wind farm supporter, and I will show you a staunch conservationist and a supporter of ALL clean power technologies (unless they just get a kick out of watching things spin). Why aren't we promoting conservation? Short answer: we are. However, we are also realists. We recognize that none of these efforts alone are enough. Wind power is pointless if we abandon conservation efforts. Conservation efforts are useless without researching, constructing and utilizing clean power technologies. For most of us, our personal conservation efforts are second nature, are exemplary, and being common sense, should require no promotion. To suggest that wind farm supporters are looking for a quick fix, is to presume that we think there is such a thing. We know there is no quick fix, and that there will most likely be no major environmental differences resulting from these efforts during our lifetimes. For most of us, this is about the future... not ours, but our children's and generations' to follow. We are not willing to accept the defeatist attitude that there is nothing we can do about the current path we are on, or that the future is hopeless.

3. Wind farm supporters are looking to curb global warming.

Okay, this one might not be so much a myth as it is an attempt by the opposition to attack what some would debate is a weakness in one of the arguments for clean energy. It is also an attempt to limit clean energy's importance to this issue alone. Wind power supporters understand that dirty power producers are harmful to the environment in many ways. Power plant emmissions pollute everything from the air shared by all living things, to the rain that falls in our ponds, lakes, oceans, rivers and streams. Most wind farm supporters also understand that the production of electricity and our reliance on foreign fuel supplies are critical issues to our national security. Wind farm supporters readily acknowledge the reality of our future energy requirements, and would prefer to see these needs met with as many renewable resources as possible. Global warming or global cooling, man made or natural climate changes, wind farm supporters are united behind a vision for the future that is less reliant on carbon-based fuels. Opponents of wind power can pick on the global warming alarmists all they want, because we aren't trying to sell something by sharing in their concerns. Regardless of agreement with their conclusions, we are simply hoping their fears will never have to be realized.

4. Wind farm supporters (on Cape Cod in particular) are in this for profit or some other evil ambition. Other ridiculous personal attacks on Cape Cod's wind farm proponents have painted them as knuckle-dragging Bush supporters with horns growing out of their heads.

I can only speak for myself, but my concern for the environment has been lifelong. I require no payment for my efforts, but the satisfaction of knowing that I have lived by and stuck to my principles. This particular supporter has no interest in the financial workings of clean power production, although lower electric bills might someday be a bonus. Just as a side note, I also feel that the companies providing clean energy should receive benefits on a scale with other power companies, and should have to adhere to the same rules and regulations as other utilities. If there are any ulterior motives back of my own interests in clean power, they may be the self-serving hopes I have for reasonable electric rates, the future of my children, and the quality of life for future generations.

It is obvious that we will be debating these misconceptions about wind power and other related technologies for some time to come, but attacking the supporters themselves should be exposed for the misguided, desperate tactic that it is. The question remaining for clean power supporters is how to maintain forward momentum without getting sidetracked by the petty squabbles, finger-pointing and foot dragging that have been, and always will be, inherent to such potential for change. Also important, is to answer the question of how to win back the hearts and minds of these smart, caring individuals who seem to have latched onto and run with such negative ideas. The 1841 classic, "Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds," by Charles McKay might make for a fine, related read. Perhaps we might discover some answers in this work. Unfortunate that it appears to have been written by a prominent, white male. What innocent, level-headed solutions could a prominent, white male possibly have been pursuing after all?

The future of clean power in this country hangs in the balance. Years down the road, when the rest of the world is far ahead of us in their efforts to utilize alternative forms of energy, these wind farm opponents will be looking back, complaining that we sat back and did nothing. Of course, no one will remember this debate, or how hard we tried. Instead of making a beginning right here, today, in our back yards, we were blockaded by those who would prefer we build our solutions in someone else's.

Posted by capecodcyclist at January 8, 2006 05:42 AM