December 11, 2019
Letters, Missouri

Wind energy does not benefit rural areas

St. Joseph News-Press | Dec. 11, 2019 | www.newspressnow.com

What does country life mean to you? I can think of a lot of things. The patriotic song written in 1895 starts out “Oh, beautiful for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain …” Hallmark has written thousand of cards with farm scene graphics on the front. We all know that country western musicians do it best.

When anticipating retiring to the Dyer family heritage farm, I was excited that I would be living in a place where lunch was called dinner, relatives were called “kin” and neighbors and friends looked after each other. Unfortunately, country living has become a myth.

Northwest Missouri is becoming an industrial host for 500-foot-plus wind turbines, all in the name of green and clean energy (whatever that means).

I have been amazed by the “trickery” that has gone on by wind energy developers. Saving the planet for your children and grandchildren went to how much money (inflated number, of course) you could get for your county coffers. We are paying a hefty price for that.

Wind energy does not benefit rural communities. It dooms them to permanent ineligibility for more appealing economic development possibilities. Hosting a wind turbine development signals a surrender of hope for future growth and improving overall property in our community.

William Penn said it best: “The country life is to be preferred, for there we see the works of God. In cities we see little else but the works of man.”

Leslie Dyer

Stewartsville, Missouri


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2019/12/11/wind-energy-does-not-benefit-rural-areas/