As told in a recent ad, a Johnsburg farmer who will host wind turbines now has many regrets.
He regrets having been the “lure” to draw in other unsuspecting landowners. He regrets that he has allowed fields to be subdivided, road base to be spread on land once picked bare of rocks, costly tiling to be cut up. He regrets that he is no longer the person who controls his own land and is now told where to go by security guards. He regrets the divide he has created between friends, between neighbors and between family members.
He regrets not having looked into all the ramifications first. That farmer is now locked in to a binding contract. But there are many landowners who have not yet suffered this fate.
Calumet County Citizens for Responsible Energy asks that landowners considering a contract first step back and study the issues-for yourself and for the bigger picture. What is happening here is happening around the world. Get on the internet or ask a friend or family member to check.
As with any financial transaction, don’t put a lot of trust in those who stand to gain financially-you believe their line, they make money. Look for Web sites and information from those experiencing the effects of this worldwide “gold” rush for wind power. People-including farmers like you -across the world are rebelling. They’re finding that they’ve lost control of their land and their lives. And they are in danger of financial hardship if these companies dissolve (remember Enron was involved in wind).
Our irresponsible government representatives are forcing this “windfall” for wind investors on us. Their knee-jerk reaction to the global climate change alarms will cause billions of dollars to be wasted, lives to be ruined, and environments degraded for what is, in actuality, a very inefficient energy source. As recent news reports indicate, the U.S. financial picture is grim. With a declining tax base and state and U.S. legislators driving us further into massive debt, taxpayer subsidies for wind will be impossible to maintain. And with the subsidies gone, what will you be left hosting?
Don Bangert
Chilton
21 November 2007
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2007/11/21/once-subsidies-gone-what-will-be-left/