‘Green’ decisions need not include turbines
www.southcoasttoday.com 15 December 2011
It’s a nice neighborhood, like yours. Our children are friends with yours, go to school together, have grown up together. We shop at the same grocery stores, attend the same churches; participate in many of the same activities as you. We are active in the community like you; volunteers and members of the same school groups, church councils, town committees. We work to support our families, pay our taxes. We care about our town and our environment. Some of us have solar panels, use clothes lines instead of dryers, use energy saving light bulbs, conserve water. Some of us ride share or even ride bicycles to work. You may know some of us. We may be co-workers, friends or family. We could be you, and our neighborhood could be yours. We are Fairhaven residents.
These are the simple facts. The wind turbines originally designated to be erected in Fairhaven ended up in the town of Falmouth. Those turbines are currently shut down due to multiple health issues of the residents in the nearby neighborhood. Some of the health issues include headaches, depression, anxiety, lethargy and dizziness. Falmouth residents describe feelings of pressure similar to the pressure in your ears while being on an airplane; pressure similar to a sinus infection; pressure in their chests. These feelings are not experienced for just a few minutes during the day, but relentlessly and continuously. This is real. These people of Falmouth were initially in favor of the turbines, until the turbines were turned on. Now they are physically ill.
We may be friends or family. We could be you, and our neighborhood could be yours. We are Fairhaven residents and, yet, our elected town officials are willing to sacrifice our health. Interesting, disturbing, scary.
Our neighboring towns said no to wind turbines. Fairhaven’s turbines would be too close to residential neighborhoods, close enough to cause health concerns. With so many other ways to help the environment, I’m sure town officials could find one that would not harm people.
Ann E. Espindola
Fairhaven
URL to article: https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/12/15/green-decisions-need-not-include-turbines/