An Appeal to the Community

The race is now a Marathon.....On Monday, July 20th. at 8 PM 3 of 5 Municipal Councilors will make a decision, or defer it to later, about the future of our Wind By-Law.....

We need prayers; we need e-mails; we need people to fill the hallowed chamber.

Yes, 3 people will decide the future for 8,000 people in the Municipality....The Warden is walking off the job for a 2 month Leave of Absence tomorrow; and Councilor Amero of Weymouth,(does he take a cut in pay?) is exempted for conflict of interest.....quite a kettle of stinky fiah 'ain't it?"

Attached a couple of letters from today's Digby Courier......both very timely and very good.


I am sure the Digby Courier would be pleaed to host your letters from wherever you are...If you have visited Digby Neck and/or live here full or part time, wouldn't it be good to fill a page with letters asking the Council/Planning Advisory Committee to stand up for Digby neck.....

Emails to Councilors@municipality.digby.ns.ca or editor@digbycourier.ca (by 10 AM tomorrow)

Councilor Linda Gregory will vote to pass the by-law built over the past year or so;

Jimmy MacAlpine will be acting warden, and would be called upon to break a tie.

Meritza Adams seems to favor letting the by-law fail.

No better time than now "to come to the aid of your country!"

If I am (starting) to bug you, let me know, but I've come to love the people of this place so much I don't want to see their way of life destroyed....There are many of us having sleepless nights. Small business'in Gullivers Cove could be in jeopardy; Bethany Place, with all it's apostolic work, may be forced to close and leave the area.( You can't operate a Centre of Spirituality with retreats etc.,etc. under constant noise, nor a hermitage......Their charitable works are well known over the past 30 years and as I've written to Council,
"noise could drive out our God because God cannot fill noisy,troubled hearts"...They are the best friend of the poor,the needy, those on the fringes of society and the bureaucratic entities and cliques.....

I'm 73; my years here have been wonderful. Being alone with no blood ties here, makes it easy for me to pack up and leave, but who would give me a return on my money on my home and lot with turbines whizzing relentlessly for the next 20 years? A million dollar view? Of course, and more, to wit, the bond of friendship and support I find in this community. But the thought of unrelenting noise obliterates all that.Rather than sell the place for next to nothing, I feel compelled to tear it down to make sure our Council derives no tax dollars from it in perpetuity.....save a pittance for the land....


Should the wind by-law die, then it will be open house until the slaughter is complete by competing Wind Developers all along the Neck. That's what Barry Zwicker, one of the Windfield Big Wigs had in mind when he told our Council that they screwed up; drop the by-law; "Let us come to help you!" Have you known such arrogance in your life?

It's the 11th hour. It's not too late to make a difference....

A hundred thousand apologies for ranting, but I am very angry.

If you need more info,get back to me on email or phone 902-245-5171...I'm in for the rest of the day.....

Please know, I am not a self-appointed representative of anyone. I'm doing my own gig here because I have to.I am dancing to my own drummer despite the Warden's statement to the contrary...danny

Tourism and Turbines

Turbines
vs. tourism
WIND energy proponents continue their campaign
of "greenwashing" as evidenced by the
article "Wind power has big potential" in your July
10edition.
The "win-win" parties alluded to in the article
would not include those of us living in small rural
communities like Pugwash, where a proposed 17-
turbine complex has many residents up in arms
because ofthe threat it poses to the local economy.
One of the critical economic drivers for Pugwash
is "destination tourism." Thousands of cottagers
and retirees come here for the warm-water beaches,
championship golf course and beautiful surroundings.
Local businesses that provide essential services
to the community cannot survive without the profits
from this summer population spike.
Wind energy proponents deny that those seeking
beauty and serenity would be dissuaded from investing
in an area dominated by a noisy and intrusive
turbine complex.
Indeed, some even argue that turbines are themselves
tourist attractions, implying, incredulously,
that those wishing to invest in a recreation/retirement
property, or even a two -week vacation, would
seek out a wind turbine complex to maximize their
enjoyment.
Pugwash can have a wind turbine complex promising
two jobs or "destination tourism" promising
200jobs, but not both. There is no "win-win" here.
Richard M. Gray, Pugwash
------------~--,-~-~--------~~------

Danny's Letter to the Editor

Bethany Place will soon celebrate its 30th.year of truly gracing not only the Municipality of the District of Digby, but environs near and far.An amazing grace indeed has befallen the people of Digby County.

The two Religious women minister unflappably in each and every situation- to all who come to their door:the poor,the destitute,the needy,the lonely,the body-broken, and the sick at heart.

What "fuels" them? Thirty years is a very long time. They are no "fly-by-nighters!" Of course, their nurture comes from God with Whom they unite themselves in prayer on-going. They are fed by the silDigby ence of the place where they live, the beauty of the planet just around them.

They too draw others into their prayer-life with members of all denominations or none from far and wide, and at home. They have spiritual retreats, a small hermitage on site, for those who seek solitude
in their search for meaning and for God. God is the source of their multifaceted ministry.

The solitude which many come to seek is threatened now by the prospect of a 400 foot wind turbine spinning behind their home- noisily day in and day out! That is hardly a gift from God!

I hope and pray that many who have come to know and love these dedicated women, and who have been graced by them over so many years, will write to our Municipal Council in protest, and write to the Dept. of the Environment before it is too late.

Daniel Mills

MIchigan turbine testimonial

Personal Stories
Life at 1500 feet
March 14, 2009 by Thumb Area Resident
Location:
The residents of Michigan's Thumb area have been writing about their experience living near industrial scale turbines. Their individual stories are remarkably consistent regarding noise, flicker, sleep interruptions, and feelings of helplessness. The testimony of one Thumb resident is included on this page. Many others can be found by clicking on the link at the bottom of this page.

My family and I live and farm in the Thumb area. We have three turbines within a half mile of our farm. The nearest is about 1500 ft. from our house. Since the turbines began turning this fall, we have been amazed at the amount of noise they create. The sound is like that of a distant jet. The sound can often be heard indoors- especially at night. The nature of the noise is so out of place it is hard to mask. When we're outside, the noise created by the turbine echoes off the buildings and seems to be amplified. When the wind is strong, the noise is masked, but about 75% of the time, the turbines are the dominant sound outside. A big concern we have at this time, is that as the weather improves (which we hope it will soon) windows will open, weather proofing will be removed and the noise that dominates the outdoors will intrude on the indoors even more. At 1500 ft, we thought we may be safe, but we were mistaken. I don't know what the answer is for setbacks, but 1500 ft. is to close.
The key to a successful wind farm is placement. Once these structures are erected, there is no turning back! If a turbine at 1500 ft. causes a disturbance when it's new, how much more will it disturb when the components begin to deteriorate. I know some have the view of "it's my land and I'll do what I want", but I'd like to believe the Thumb is different. We are all friends, neighbors and stewarts of the land. As farmers, we control erosion with cover crops, safely apply chemicals, plant filter strips, follow manure management guidelines to reduce the impact on our neighbors, etc.... all in an effort to care for the land and our community. As land owners we have a responsibility to our neighbors as well. We are all part of this peaceful area we call home. It is often said you don't know what you've got till it's gone. Be assured, you may not realize how peaceful this area is until one day, for what ever reason, the turbines aren't turning and you hear the quiet- it's a quiet we've become much more aware of in recent months. A quiet that is to rare.
We were all made promises during the development phase of this project. Two important ones were jobs and money. Jobs came- and then just as quickly went. Many of the jobs were from Wisconsin and other states. They took their paychecks and likely sent them home to their families. Some Michigan people were granted temporary construction jobs, but they have also gone back to their own areas too. There are only a handful of permanent jobs.
Money. Where to begin, Money is the driving force of wind development. It seems the only green part of wind development is the money. Subsidies and tax breaks are freely given to developers, and land owners are promised large payments. As for the actual benefit to the area- it remains to be seen. The minimum amounts promised to us (yes- we were offered a contract and after having it reviewed by a land use attorney decided not to sign it) were quite insignificant in the farm industry- less than $3000. Is the promise of more with a guarantee of so little worth the impact on our friends and neighbors? I know first hand of two homes that have been put on the market because of the windmills. Both homes are over a half mile away from the nearest turbine. Noise and other elements such as strobing and flicker are a concern, even at this distance, and has lead to their decision to sell.
Doctors are still learning about the effects windmills have on the human body. It seems quite clear that there is a direct link between health and the proximity of homes to turbines. There are so many questions and so few definitive answers. My experience with developers is that they use a lot of words like- shouldn't, we don't expect, probably, may, etc. Do you feel comfortable with these answers? Are you willing to sacrifice you peace and quiet and possibly your health for these types of answers?
Green energy may be critical to our future, but it needs to be done correctly. Families should not have to suffer because they don't own enough land to make the decision for themselves.
Web link: http://www.windturbinetestimonies.blogspot.com/

Britain and Wind Turbines

A view from David Derbyshire and Kirsty Walker

£120 Green FUEL Tax- “Wind Turbines” When Denmark Proves They Are No Use…NWO Coffers!!
July 11, 2009 · 2 Comments
Green fuel bill shock: Families face a charge of up to £120 to fund thousands of wind turbines

The levies – dubbed ‘green stealth taxes’ will help pay for the building of 7,000 wind turbines over the next 11 years
Millions of families face being hit with higher fuel bills to pay for a new ‘green energy revolution’ due to be unveiled by Labour next week.

The levies on the price of gas and electricity - dubbed ‘green stealth taxes’ by critics - will help pay for renewable energy to tackle climate change, including building 7,000 wind turbines over the next 11 years.

A White Paper unveiled by Climate Change minister Ed Miliband next week will outline the Government’s next steps for the expansion of green energy.

But industry experts warn the cost of subsidising renewables will increase household energy bills. At present the renewables element of the typical bill is an average £55 a
year, but this could increase to as much as £120 by 2014.

The respected UK Energy Research Centre has predicted that by 2050 the subsidy will cost the economy at least £17billion a year, the equivalent of an extra £700 a year per household.

The White Paper follows the Government’s pledge to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 34 per cent within 11 years, and by 80 per cent within 40 years. Britain is the only country in the world with legally binding carbon dioxide targets.

The UK also faces tough European targets to ensure that at least 30 to 40 per cent of Britain’s electricity will be generated by wind, solar, wave and tidal power by 2020.

Currently, just three per cent of the UK’s electricity comes from renewable sources.

The Government says the shift away from fossil fuels towards wind, nuclear, tidal, solar and biomass power is essential to prevent dangerous climate change.

Ministers have warned that the country could face deadly heatwaves, rising sea levels and regular floods within 50 years unless urgent action is taken to ‘ decarbonise’.

But the Government’s advisers on climate change say the greenhouse-gas targets could push 1.7million into fuel poverty.

The White Paper is expected to propose ’social tariffs’ to ease the burden of higher energy bills on the poor and the elderly.

Energy companies will be told to subsidise the cost for the poor by adding extra to the bills of better-off customers.

It will also say that climate change targets can be reached only with a massive expansion of offshore wind farms.

The White Paper will introduce incentives for householders to produce their own energy from solar panels, ground source heat pumps and combined heat and power units.

Ministers will also back the introduction of smart meters - gadgets that help consumers monitor and cut power use - in an effort to improve energy efficiency.

Matthew Sinclair of the TaxPayers’ Alliance said: ‘The last thing that the Government should be doing right now is pushing up electricity bills even more to line the pockets of renewable energy firms.

‘Wind farms aren’t delivering reliable energy when we need it, and their massive subsidies are paid for by pushing up ordinary people’s bills.

‘It would be a complete betrayal if they were to add to that burden while families are struggling to cope in a recession. Action needs to be taken to reduce the burden of ineffective climate change policies, instead of ploughing blindly on and throwing even more money at the problem.

Local Rules for Turbines- U.S.

from Maureen Daly, Milwaukee Examiner

Local rules for residential wind turbine permits is becoming a concern
July 2, 12:34 PM
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BWC Excel 10kW, Bergey WindpowerAs in many other states, the state of Wisconsin is looking to increase wind energy. Up until recently, much of the discussion has revolved around placement of large wind farms and their proximity to residential areas. There is considerable interest at the state level in coming up with a common standard for the entire state so that wind power developers have a much easier time getting their projects permitted across county lines.

Federal and state tax incentives have now helped stoke interest in smaller turbines that can work in residential applications. Manufacturers are creating systems that are more and more affordable offering a quicker return on investment. Small turbine systems can cost anywhere from $6,000 to $20,000. A word of caution to those anxious to go green and embrace wind power: do your homework.

To get the most energy bang for your buck, a wind turbine has to be between 80 to 120 feet tall. Obviously not everyone living on a one to two acre lot would like to see a neighbor install a huge tower next door. There are no local ordinances in the Milwaukee area on wind turbines to regulate size, location, power production or noise for that matter. Yet.

Menomonee Falls is one of the first Milwaukee area communities to try to come up with some zoning laws that make sense. Village staff suggested a 60-ft limit for tower height, which typically would make the turbine too low to be effective. Other ways to limit residential systems is to restrict turbine blade length or cap kilowatt generation.

Bumping up against vague local zoning restrictions is becoming common all across the country as early adopters of wind energy find plenty of wind turbines available for sale. For example a couple in Charlottesville, VA, with a home ideally located atop a wind swept hill found their county’s zoning regulations made it impossible for them to install it.

Balancing competing interests is not easy task. Finding the right balance to allow residential systems in residential areas without damaging the rural character of the area may be impossible in some locations. With Menomonee Falls taking the first step, residents of greater Milwaukee may expect more localities to review their ordinances.

Health Study on Turbines

from Maureen Daly Milwaukee Environmental News Examiner

First study to determine health effects of wind turbines in Ontario
July 8, 11:00 AM
Opponents of wind farms will be happy to learn that researchers at Queen’s University have begun a study to determine the health effects of turbines on nearby residents.

Opponents of wind turbines have cited sleep disturbance, increased headaches, ear pressure, memory problems and even rapid heart rate as a result of living near industrial wind turbines. “Wind turbine syndrome” has been used to describe all the symptoms reported. It is the clinical name coined by Dr. Nina Pierpont.

As Wisconsin increases the number of wind farms, opponents are getting more vocal. WINDCOWS (Wisconsin Independent Citizens Opposing Windturbine Sites) is the most creatively named group, but plenty others exist.

Part of the problem is that the windy parts of our state, like the Fox Valley is also the most densely populated unlike the Great Plains. Our mishmash of local ordinances for set back are seen as an impediment to the wind industry but have been working in favor of opponents be delaying some projects.

By August the researchers will have collected baseline data and they intend to follow up on an annual or biannual basis for a few years to see if any effects crop up over time.

The wind industry is here to stay. One possible outcome will be better data on which to determine appropriate setbacks for future wind farms.