Wind farms threaten the serenity of Maine
www.seacoastonline.com 5 January 2011
I walked to our mailbox today and was delighted to find my copy of Down East magazine.
In the January 2011 issue which just arrived, I found a section, “Define the essence of Maine in a sentence” That is, in my humble opinion, impossible to do.
It contained quotes from people ranging from the famous to the ordinary. Several made me smile to myself in agreement. One man said he “enjoys breathing air and hearing sounds that are still as our maker intended.” Another said that “Maine beckons through its serene natural beauty.” And yet another said that “Maine’s people are creative, full of common sense and nobody’s fool.”
Maine is a naturally serene state, especially in the outlying areas of western and northern Maine. At least, it is for now. That has been changing since several wind outfits blew into town on the tides of “stimulus money.”
Times are changing. People who live in the many small hamlets scattered throughout central and northern Maine have, in large part, lost the right to control their own destinies. Legislation has been pushed through that will most certainly adversely affect “Maine, the Way Life Should Be.” In many instances, we cannot object to “wind farms” because of concerns over the proposed destruction of the beauty of the landscape, or the serenity of the place we call home. We have been ridiculed and told it is shameful that we do not want this so-called “green energy.” And yet, when asked for facts and figures from the proponents of wind energy, it is not forthcoming.
If it were made clear that wind energy is a costly proposition for the taxpaying public, many would say a resounding “no” to many of these proposed wind farms. Shameful bribery is the name of the game for wind companies. I ask them: “Why resort to bribery if your product is so wonderful?” It should sell itself. Clearly, it has not.
Sadly, the Maine we know and love will soon be a part of the past if we don’t live up to our reputations of being “full of common sense and nobody’s fool.”
Linda Miller
Lexington Township
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/01/06/wind-farms-threaten-the-serenity-of-maine/