July 14, 2014
New Hampshire, Opinions

We refuse to cast our fate to the wind

When an industrial wind company representative comments about only seeing the same familiar faces at meetings of concerned citizens; when a corporate lawyer for an industrial wind company mentions personal lawsuits possibly being filed against individual town officials for supporting opinions of their constituents, is it time to up the ante?

When five towns vote “no” to Big Wind projects in their region, is that a strong enough statement for Big Wind to get the message that they should not come to our towns?

When, additionally, four towns vote for rights-based ordinances against wind industry in their towns, is that enough for Big Wind to get the message?

When the Appalachian Mountain Club, Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, Lakes Region Land Trust, Newfound Lake Region Association, regional summer camps, business groups and tourist-based businesses all express their continued support for opposition by the towns to big wind, is that enough to be heard?

When New Hampshire state legislators, over the past two years, created bills and measures to look at the fine-tuning of industrial wind project siting and the structure of state Site Evaluation Committee, is that enough?

Big Wind still won’t listen and is in denial about the winds of change in these five New Hampshire towns and the surrounding region. Be prepared! Hundreds of people feel the need to express their outrage in person because the wind industry won’t listen.

Threats to local officials about lawsuits do not sit well with voters. The importance of our rural way of life, and the quiet beauty contained here, matters.

The clarity of our streams and lakes, the overall health of our wildlife and human population, the aesthetics and the attraction of this area to tourists, is far more important to voters in our region than the dollars going out of state in the form of electricity not needed for New Hampshire consumption, and far, far more important than our state resources being used to go out of the country as profits for a Portuguese company.