February 29, 2020
Letters, New York

Do not let greed win; protect our precious lake

The Buffalo News | Fri, Feb 28, 2020 | buffalonews.com

On Feb. 6, the Buffalo News published “Anglers oppose Lake Erie wind turbine project.” The existing land-based turbines are already shown to be a bad deal, by the broken “Steel Winds” turbines in Lackawanna.

In response, two letters appeared in Everybody’s Column on Feb. 12, challenging the anglers and promoting offshore wind power development. Ellen Banks of the Sierra Club states, “If proposals for offshore wind in the lakes pass all environmental tests, and earn Sierra Club approval, their construction will not stir up toxins on the lake bed.” One must wonder, do they have magical powers over the laws of physics?

It appears they are our omnipotent protectors and have the last word on what’s good for us and wildlife. They also have a crystal ball to foresee what permanent damage to the lake bed would not do to the drinking water of millions of people in two countries for years to come.

Another Feb. 12 letter writer handles his endorsement of this experimental project by stating that “Each of these concerns is always routinely addressed and closely monitored by the EPA and other government agencies.” He later notes that government environmental regulations have been “gutted,” a complete contradiction that guts his argument.

How repulsive it is that certain environmental organizations and individuals are now sales pitching for global power companies, offering land and water, at the expense of our wildlife and our wallets. Climate change is used as justification. It is a repackaging of greed and a new form of the industrial plundering of Lake Erie. As if we haven’t learned anything the first time.

Precious Lake Erie and Niagara River, source of life and pride here. Fresh water, natural wonders, world class fishing and boating, stunning sunsets, unobstructed views of stars.

Decades of recovery from past carelessness and confronting new threats, like towering electric generators and infrastructure that would sprawl for miles. Lake Erie must be protected, respected and left alone, not offered up on a “green” platter as a sacrifice to the world for a “greater good.”

Mary Hensen

East Aurora


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2020/02/29/do-not-let-greed-win-protect-our-precious-lake/