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They see a turbine and think they’re saving the earth 

Credit:  The Australian, www.theaustralian.com.au 30 November 2010 ~~

As victims of the approved Macarthur wind farm and the proposed Penshurst wind farm in southwest Victoria, it was pleasing for us to see the coverage given to this renewable energy scam (“The great wind rush“, Inquirer, 27-28/11).

My husband and I have fought a long and weary battle for more than six years to have our voices heard, and it’s gratifying that finally your newspaper has spoken out about this waste of resources and taxpayers’ money.

My personal concerns are the threat to our health and the devaluation of our farm. There will be turbines starting in the south-west continuing through a large arc to the east. I was told early on by a developer’s lackey that if my health was affected, it was because I was neurotic.

On a broader scale, I’m concerned about the effect this proliferation of wind turbines will have on our vulnerable brolga population. Well over 1000 turbines are operational, approved or in the planning stage in southwest Victoria.

Anyone with sense understands that wind power as a renewable, reliable source of power is flawed technology. Its only benefit is to make people feel good. They see a turbine and think they’re saving the earth.

Christine Jelbart, Penshurst, Vic

THE revolt against wind turbines is fast becoming a national movement. The outgoing Brumby government in Victoria claimed that wind farms created jobs, yet even the monster $1 billion wind farm at Stockyard Hill, west of Ballarat, will produce a mere 30 permanent jobs. There was no mention of turbine blight, or disinvesment because no sentient person would invest in a wind-farm area.

And all for what? Wind cannot power a single light bulb more than 20 per cent of the time. Greenhouse gas emission savings are virtually nil as wind has to be backed up 100 per cent by fossil fuel.

And no, I’m not a NIMBY, nor am I a redneck. I was a dedicated Greens voter. Urban Greens are the true NIMBYs, tethered as they are to their GPOs, far from any wind turbine.

Frank Campbell, Elmhurst, Vic

THERE are currently 1428 turbines approved to be built in western Victoria. This is in addition to the 266 turbines already operating.

We are constantly told that wind turbines have been operating in Europe for decades with no adverse effects. What a simplistic analogy. The fact is that up until the year 2000 the biggest turbines in Europe were no more than 75 metres high.

The turbines that will be built at the Stockyard Hill wind farm will be over 130 metres high. The sweep of their blades will cover 8500 square metres, or nearly one hectare.

The panel appointed by the Brumby government to look into the Stockyard Hill wind farm looked in depth at all the health information. It could not come to a conclusion as to the effects on health of proximity to wind turbines and recommended that more research be done. Justin Madden, the Labor minister for planning, ignored this recommendation. Why? Did he have something to hide?

Let’s hope the new Coalition government in Victoria can undo some of the damage done by Labor and support the families that are suffering from existing wind farms and those that will suffer from new wind farms.

David Jackson, Skipton, Vic

AT last a newspaper is willing to expose just what is happening to country people’s lives and livelihoods due to a government’s frenetic rush to “appear Green” to gain the city vote.

Congratulations to The Weekend Australian for publishing the stories of just a few people who have been bullied and intimidated by windpower companies which, along with farmers, stand to make buckets of money from this taxpayer-subsidised rort, generating an extremely expensive, inefficient and unreliable form of power.

Annie Gardner, Penshurst, Vic

Source:  The Australian, www.theaustralian.com.au 30 November 2010

This article is the work of the source indicated. Any opinions expressed in it are not necessarily those of National Wind Watch.

The copyright of this article resides with the author or publisher indicated. As part of its noncommercial educational effort to present the environmental, social, scientific, and economic issues of large-scale wind power development to a global audience seeking such information, National Wind Watch endeavors to observe “fair use” as provided for in section 107 of U.S. Copyright Law and similar “fair dealing” provisions of the copyright laws of other nations. Send requests to excerpt, general inquiries, and comments via e-mail.

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