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Almighty dollar driving wind turbine agenda
Credit: www.theobserver.ca 16 April 2012 ~~
Translate: FROM English | TO English
Translate: FROM English | TO English
Re the Anti-Wind Turbine Protest:
“Where does the Anti-Wind Turbine movement get its funding and why is it really making Industrial Wind Turbines such a big deal?” When I was asked this question the other day it made my wife and I look back at what we have observed in the last three years since we became interested in this issue. We believe it to be a David and Goliath struggle.
It is evident that the funding for the protest movement comes from voluntary donations from concerned citizens with no possibility of ‘tax receipts’. Collecting dollars in milk cans at information meetings is standard procedure. Their countless hours of work in organizing events and trying to educate the public are all ‘volunteered hours’ with no reimbursement or expense account perks. In most cases they have to sacrifice time away from their gainful employment.
As to why they are doing this, the answer is simple. They are truly a grass roots movement.
– Those directly affected are fighting to preserve their way of life, their health and their investment in homes and property.
– Those like ourselves who will not live in the shade of these giant turbines, are fighting to support our rural neighbours whose lives are being turned upside down. We are also fighting to try and help all Ontarians from suffering from an unviable energy policy that will ultimately hurt us all and provide little if any environmental benefit.
On the other hand the proponents or those who champion wind energy all seem to have a vested interest in making a dollar or in supporting political agendas. Many are backed by the large foreign-owned companies like NextEra and Samsung who have corporate lobbying power and deep pockets.
– All of their funding eventually comes from the ratepayers of Ontario in subsidy dollars and what we pay in our utility bills.
– Donations to their supporting groups and organizations be they professional or environmental, generally receive tax receipts. Many of these groups receive government grants and subsidy as well. Again at the end of the day it is taxpayer money.
– NextEra’s ‘Community Vibrancy Fund’ for example, has to eventually come from the subsidy dollars that we pay in our electricity bills. It would seem to me that they are using our dollars to try and buy influence for their own purpose.
It troubles me that our government and the Wind Industry seem unwilling to listen to the growing credible evidence that there are serious negative aspects to Industrial Wind Turbines. They disregard the grass roots opposition that is growing worldwide and blindly go forward with their misguided vision.
It is evident that it is the almighty dollar that is the driving force on this issue and not what is best for Ontario in the long run.
Roy Merkley
Grand Bend
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