Members of the public are the real losers of the new way of thinking and the push for wind turbine installations
Back in the good old days there was a saying – “necessity is the mother of invention” but times are changing and in order to meet these changing times we need a new philosophy; case in point – the St. Joseph Wind Project.
In a strange twist of logic, it has been deemed – “invention is the mother of necessity” and the St. Joseph wind project is a perfect example of this new way of thinking.
In Winnipeg, Dec. 15, 2008, the Frontier Center for Public Policy presented: “Can We Afford More Wind Power?” David Grant, Professional Engineer, outlined based on cost alone that wind power in Manitoba will do nothing more than raise the price of electricity for all Manitobans’.
Exactly how much will this wind energy cost us? Well, according to the government, that is privileged information — but it could be a lot.
You can bet that if industrial wind energy were going to save us money, the public would be the first to know.
At this point, we can be clear that wind energy comes at a high price; it is neither free nor cheap.
Regardless of price or necessity, Manitoba will raise hundreds of industrial wind turbines not based on need but based simply on the fact that industrial wind turbines exist. How did this tangled web of anti-logic ever come to be?
A recent article: “Beware ‘cosy relationships’ climate hysterics need to stop focusing on foolish criticism, beware of hot air pushers” Lorrie Goldstein, Toronto Sun June 28, 2009, might help make some sense of the current state of affairs with the following excerpt:
“Tom Adams, now an independent energy and environmental consultant, who for 11 years until 2007 was the highly respected executive director of Energy Probe, explains it all on a video he’s posted on YouTube titled the “Green Energy Act Paradox.”
While we agree his presentation skills need work (sorry, Tom), Adams, intimately familiar with the passage of Premier Dalton McGuinty’s Green Energy Act, succinctly lays out what’s going on.
He describes the ‘cosy relationship’ that exists among governments that want power, energy companies that want profits and environmental organizations that want more renewable energy, but also consulting fees and government funding.
The way it works is governments hand out money to environmental organizations, who consult with and for energy companies, who together advise the government on what green energy laws should look like, and who then praise the government — ad nauseam — for the legislation they helped design when the government unveils it.
And who are the losers in this neat little drama, you ask?
Why, the public, of course, who are increasingly being presented with so-called “green” legislation in which all the key decisions have been made behind closed doors, long before the so-called public consultations begin.”
But what about wind energy saving the farm? i.e. second cash crop/guaranteed income and land owners right to use their property as they see fit?
Admittedly a touchy subject but put into the light of history we see a trend. Since the 1940’s Canada has seen declining numbers of farmers.
Every time the well-dressed man from the city offers another solution to save the farm, we lose another farmer.
While the profits of food giants soar the farmer at the ground level often find themselves cash strapped and desperate. Today we have not only food giants sizing up those farm fields but we also have energy giants eager to get in on the action.
Will farmers benefit this time? Google: Bowark Right of Way Agreement to learn who will be in control of valuable St. Joseph wind project lands.
Finally there is the resident of the wind power project.
Proponents of wind energy “say beauty is in the eye of the beholder”. While some folks don’t like the look of the giant wind machines others think they look great.
Admittedly few of us around here really know what it is like to live in a wind project. Beyond the look of the equipment, issues related to quality of life and health are piling up. A couple of years ago there were a handful of people publicly speaking of the misery of their lives in a wind project now there are hundreds of such individuals. As turbine numbers increase so do the number complaints.
Industrial wind energy advocates/lobbyists like CanWEA claim that complaints are “rare”, “anecdotal” and not “based on science”.
Industry sponsored research (surprise, surprise) tends to come out in favour of the industry.
It wasn’t long ago when smoking was considered healthy and complaints about second hand smoke were laughable, might industrial wind turbines face the same fate?
Like the canary in the coal mine or the frog in the meadow, the voices of people suffering with industrial wind turbines are a barometer of deteriorating conditions.
Industrial wind energy, especially in Manitoba is pointless considering our hydro resources.
Let’s preserve, conserve and protect the incredibly valuable resource we’ve got while it is still ours.
Like Joni Mitchell said: “you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone”.
By Todd Braun, St. Joseph
9 July 2009
Tags: Wind power, Wind energy
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