April 26, 2011
Illinois

Wind energy forum draws protestors

Krizia Vance, News Writer, The Daily Illini, www.dailyillini.com 25 April 2011Krizia Vance, News Writer, The Daily Illini, www.dailyillini.com 25 April 2011

Protesters picketed outside of the Champaign Public Library before a forum held on wind energy Monday night.

Cindy Ihrke, member of Energize Illinois, organized the protest in opposition of government initiatives to promote wind energy, such as State Representative Naomi Jakobsson’s (D-103) proposal for more wind energy in Illinois.

Jianan Xu The Daily Illini Eugene Harrison from the Urbana area was among a group of approximately a dozen that protested outside the wind energy forum held at the Champaign Public Library on Monday, April 25th. The group later engaged in a heated exchange with the speaker at the forum.

“Wind doesn’t work,” Ihrke said. “We’re here to get the message out to Mrs. Jakobsson and other representatives and the public this message that wind is not a viable, reliable source of energy to depend on.”

Ihrke said the effectiveness of wind energy has no scientific backing to it.

“In a matter fact the science says it doesn’t work. It’s a false claim,” Ihrke said.

Judy Campbell, resident of Manville, said she came to the protest because she feels the decisions being made to implement wind mills are not justified.

“We were concerned about the government official (Rep. Jakobsson) being so in favor of it without knowing all the facts,” Campbell said. “The people who are going to live by them are usually the last to know where they’re going to be.”

Carolyn Gerwin, resident of Pontiac, doesn’t live near turbines, but is concerned about their ineffectiveness and the cost behind the wind mills.

“They aren’t going to reach the goals we have set for ourselves for carbon reduction,” Gerwin said. “It’s a very expensive form of energy, so it really isn’t a good solution.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/04/26/wind-energy-forum-draws-protestors/