Wind issue brought residents together
The Lindsay Post, www.thepost.ca 8 January 2011
After a year and a half of listening to the ongoing wind turbine debate, one can’t help but wonder why, if wind energy is such a good idea for Ontario, our provincial government and the Canadian Wind Energy Association are having such a difficult time convincing those of us living rurally that this is so.
It is certainly apparent to me, after extensive investigation, that wind energy is extravagantly expensive, completely unreliable, and certainly extremely intrusive if not outright harmful to at least the unfortunate segment of the population fated to live in the shadow of the five hundred foot industrial machines. The recent assertion as advertized by CANWEA that 86% of Ontarians favour such development can only be deemed to be the result of a lopsided survey conducted in downtown Toronto where wind turbines are represented by a lone undersized toy on the CNE grounds that totally misrepresents the issue.
On the other hand, it’s not all bad news. Throughout the past year and more, a group of citizens in the south end of the City of Kawartha Lakes have been working hard to communicate the facts about wind energy to all interested in learning the truth. The outpouring of community support has been truly amazing, with two fundraising events, in particular, bringing out hundreds of people and raising thousands of dollars to continue the fight. This coming together in support of a common cause is like nothing I’ve seen anywhere, and is sure to have a lasting effect in the community, wind turbines or not.
For those that still think it’s as simple as “Green is good” (as energy minister Brad Duguid is often quoted), there are numerous easy opportunities to get educated. You can google Wind Concerns Ontario or Manvers Wind Concerns to get started.
DAVE BRIDGES Pontypool
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/01/08/wind-issue-brought-residents-together/