Opposition to wind turbines overwhelming
Kennebec Journal, www.kjonline.com 5 March 2011
The arguments against the clearcutting of Maine’s most remote areas for wind turbines, and the opposition to forever losing Maine’s rural, essential, “sense of place,” are both well-founded.
When weighed against short-term job creation, which is real, and long-term independence from foreign petroleum, which is wind industry propaganda, the pros and cons can be argued until we’re blue in the face.
There is an underlying truth here, however, that every Maine citizen should find disturbing: The majority is being ignored.
Backroom politics, and blatant cash contributions from the wind developers to organizations including the Natural Resources Council of Maine and the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine have run roughshod over the democratic process.
Numbers don’t lie. WABI-TV Channel 5 in Bangor did an opinion poll on Feb. 24 regarding industrial wind development in Maine. Out of 909 respondents, 17 were in favor of building turbines on land – 17 out of 909! Less than 2 percent in favor of the growing destruction we’re witnessing in rural Maine. But on and on it goes.
Permitting for wind development falls on the shoulders of Land Use Regulation Commission, a Maine government agency. By definiton, in a representative government, LURC’s responsibility is to represent the wishes of the people – not the wishes of out-of-state developers, former governor’s companies, former governor’s sons, or southern Maine contractors and blasters who are trading the future of rural Maine for short-term financial gain.
Jack Gagnon
Lakeville
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/03/05/opposition-to-wind-turbines-overwhelming/