To: editor digby courier
Cc: dan mills
Sent: Thursday, September 17, 2009 6:02 PM
Subject: NIMBY REPUTATION
I am originally from NewBrunswick, and of late I have been hearing the wonderful restoration to environmental health of the mighty Miramichi where I spent my first twenty five years. The Atlantic salmon, which all but vanished from that river and its tributaries, after generations of unmitigated exploitation at the hands of the sacred cow, economic development, is making a comeback.
My granddad, born in 1889 on that river, often spoke of twenty six sawmills there when he was a boy. They gave way to "the invention of the wheel" and all that followed it, from what became frowned upon as the uncomely bucksaw to the powersaw and on to a machine which can clearcut in twenty-four hours what would have taken him years to cut as a youth, and in that time the forest would retore itself.
Large powerful mills were erected to handle the huge amounts of timber that could be torn from its roots.And with it came the invisible effluents pouring forth into the dumping place, the beautiful River, and silently and slowly killing the life the waters carried. Concomitantly, the giant stacks- to chimneys what wind turbines are to wind mills,- carried off into the air that which would pollute the air we breathed, and when the wind was blowing just right, you had to close your windows to prevent the noxious fumes coming through our walls from miles away.
Money was a-plenty, so they said. That was new! But so was cancer which through the years continues to take lives of people in their prime, like an ongoing plague inspired or concocted by greed. The River that drew thousands to its waters, and the tourism dollars that brought,all but died a painful death by choking.
The forest too is all but dead at the hands of machines which rape and render sterile the land as they cut the trees. So the mills now are all gone, and so the multi-dollars. The cancered victims lie in cemeteries along the river banks.
In two or three short years, the mighty river once again witnesses the grilse and salmon in their graceful dance at sunset, as they reclaim their waterway as the Creator had deigned it to be.The rebirth of nature despite humanity's poor care for it! Will we learn at all?
Ms.Herron seems to have missed that side of what the economic drive in the Picture Province may easily forget. But I'll say to her that the great tragedy there as elsewhere is that there were not NIMBY's around then that I recall.We fell numb to consumerism and greed.
Although I accept that Mr.Donham floating on a log in the Sydney tarponds,( for that I believe is where he went to work after he and Harry went their separate ways,) may choose to wax disparagingly as he will to up his charm for those like him, would label people he has never met. However he may dare! That one from our midst who knows the people here so well would consider jumping on his log with him and appear to lower her nose with him at them, and look down it so seemingly with righeous indignation, because they love their home, their families, and neighbors and simply want that truth be pursed - well, to an outsider reading it and looking for a home may well turn his nose and hear the call:"Go west, young man, go west!"
Thank-you for fair and equal space.
Daniel Mills
902-245-5171
Monday, September 21, 2009
Wind Farm Scam- U.K.
Environmental scientist exposes wind farm scam
http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2009/09/15/environmental-scientist-exposes-wind-farm-scam/
In The Wind Farm Scam, to be released on 30th September 2009, Dr. John Etherington argues that wind farm technology is a wholly counter-productive and undesirable response to the problems of climate change and electricity generation. Dr. Etherington is a former Reader in Ecology, Thomas Huxley Medallist at the Royal College of Science and former co-editor of the Journal of Ecology.
The Wind Farm Scam explains that the intermittent nature of wind power cannot generate a steady output, a fact that necessitates back-up systems from coal and gas-powered plants that significantly negate any reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
In addition, there are the ecological drawbacks, including damage to habitats and wildlife, and the far from insignificant aesthetic drawback of the assault upon natural beauty which wind turbines entail.
Moreover, wind power is being excessively financed at the cost of consumers who have been neither consulted nor informed that this subsidy is being paid from their bills to support an industry that cannot be cost-efficient.
With the recent proliferation of local groups opposing wind farm planning applications (now over 300), and the increasingly frequent and challenging discussions on wind farms in all the media – including a round condemnation by James Lovelock on the BBC’s Hard Talk programme – this meticulously researched and compellingly-argued book could not be more timely.
As Christopher Booker says in his introduction:
“Eventually the obsession of our politicians with tower blocks was seen to be one of the greatest follies of the age. In time to come – it may be sooner than we think – the obsession with wind power will likewise come to be seen as an even greater folly”
The Wind Farm Scam: Isbn 9781905299836, £9.99, published 30th September 2009 by Stacey International
Please contact David Birkett on 020 7221 7166, 07982 75 4646 or by e-mailing him at marketing@stacey-international.co.uk
Notes for Editors
Publication of The Wind Farm Scam comes at a crucial time, as our government appears determined to confront public opposition to deployment of wind power. Just a few months ago Energy Secretary Ed Miliband publicly stated “It is socially unacceptable to be against wind turbines.” And more recently Huw Irranca-Davies, DEFRA minister for marine and natural environment, supported the fast-tracking of wind power through the planning system by allowing developers to finance local projects. Such action is contrary to the government’s own 2007 policy set out in “Delivering Community Benefits from Wind Energy Development: A Toolkit” which contained the categorical statement that: “To put it simply, planning permission cannot be ‘bought’.”
Despite the government’s statement that 81% of people are in favour of wind power and that 62% would be happy to live within 5 km of a wind power development, media polls have recently shown a consistent 70% to 90% of people opposing local wind farm development. For example, whilst this book was in press, the Scottish “Lochaber News” asked if councilors should approve a plan for wind turbines, to which question the poll gave a resounding “No – 90%”. We are not alone. In Germany, usually presented as a showcase for wind power, the response to the State of Brandenburg’s decision to increase the already large areas covered by wind farms, was a local petition of 27,000 signatures opposing the decision.
Proponents of wind power repeatedly stress that opposition is based primarily on the impact on landscape, but justify this by the need to “tackle climate change” through reduction of carbon dioxide emission. As this book shows, the saving of CO2 proposed by government’s own 2010 target for electricity generated by renewables is a minute 0.04% of the global total and, by 2020 this will not have grown in any way comparably with the huge increases of emission from the developing world. To achieve the target, installed capacity of wind will have grown to near 50 gigawatts which according to predictions by wind farm operators E.ON UK and Iberdrolla, will necessitate up to 90% of this 50 GW being backed-up by conventional power stations. Paradoxically then, we need to build more CO2-emitting power stations to allow deployment of hugely subsidized wind farms.
The title of this book expresses the author’s belief that wind power is an institutional confidence trick – succinctly summed-up by Lord David Howell, former Secretary of State for Energy in Mrs. Thatcher’s government: “Extensive wind farm developments will be seen in due course to have taken public opinion for a colossal ride.” It is indeed colossal – electricity compulsorily priced at two or three times its real value, saving a derisory amount of CO2 emission and, as conceded last year by the British Wind Energy Association, mitigating only half the amount of CO2 emission which was claimed for most wind farms already installed.
14th September 2009
stacey-international.co.uk
http://www.wind-watch.org/news/2009/09/15/environmental-scientist-exposes-wind-farm-scam/
In The Wind Farm Scam, to be released on 30th September 2009, Dr. John Etherington argues that wind farm technology is a wholly counter-productive and undesirable response to the problems of climate change and electricity generation. Dr. Etherington is a former Reader in Ecology, Thomas Huxley Medallist at the Royal College of Science and former co-editor of the Journal of Ecology.
The Wind Farm Scam explains that the intermittent nature of wind power cannot generate a steady output, a fact that necessitates back-up systems from coal and gas-powered plants that significantly negate any reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
In addition, there are the ecological drawbacks, including damage to habitats and wildlife, and the far from insignificant aesthetic drawback of the assault upon natural beauty which wind turbines entail.
Moreover, wind power is being excessively financed at the cost of consumers who have been neither consulted nor informed that this subsidy is being paid from their bills to support an industry that cannot be cost-efficient.
With the recent proliferation of local groups opposing wind farm planning applications (now over 300), and the increasingly frequent and challenging discussions on wind farms in all the media – including a round condemnation by James Lovelock on the BBC’s Hard Talk programme – this meticulously researched and compellingly-argued book could not be more timely.
As Christopher Booker says in his introduction:
“Eventually the obsession of our politicians with tower blocks was seen to be one of the greatest follies of the age. In time to come – it may be sooner than we think – the obsession with wind power will likewise come to be seen as an even greater folly”
The Wind Farm Scam: Isbn 9781905299836, £9.99, published 30th September 2009 by Stacey International
Please contact David Birkett on 020 7221 7166, 07982 75 4646 or by e-mailing him at marketing@stacey-international.co.uk
Notes for Editors
Publication of The Wind Farm Scam comes at a crucial time, as our government appears determined to confront public opposition to deployment of wind power. Just a few months ago Energy Secretary Ed Miliband publicly stated “It is socially unacceptable to be against wind turbines.” And more recently Huw Irranca-Davies, DEFRA minister for marine and natural environment, supported the fast-tracking of wind power through the planning system by allowing developers to finance local projects. Such action is contrary to the government’s own 2007 policy set out in “Delivering Community Benefits from Wind Energy Development: A Toolkit” which contained the categorical statement that: “To put it simply, planning permission cannot be ‘bought’.”
Despite the government’s statement that 81% of people are in favour of wind power and that 62% would be happy to live within 5 km of a wind power development, media polls have recently shown a consistent 70% to 90% of people opposing local wind farm development. For example, whilst this book was in press, the Scottish “Lochaber News” asked if councilors should approve a plan for wind turbines, to which question the poll gave a resounding “No – 90%”. We are not alone. In Germany, usually presented as a showcase for wind power, the response to the State of Brandenburg’s decision to increase the already large areas covered by wind farms, was a local petition of 27,000 signatures opposing the decision.
Proponents of wind power repeatedly stress that opposition is based primarily on the impact on landscape, but justify this by the need to “tackle climate change” through reduction of carbon dioxide emission. As this book shows, the saving of CO2 proposed by government’s own 2010 target for electricity generated by renewables is a minute 0.04% of the global total and, by 2020 this will not have grown in any way comparably with the huge increases of emission from the developing world. To achieve the target, installed capacity of wind will have grown to near 50 gigawatts which according to predictions by wind farm operators E.ON UK and Iberdrolla, will necessitate up to 90% of this 50 GW being backed-up by conventional power stations. Paradoxically then, we need to build more CO2-emitting power stations to allow deployment of hugely subsidized wind farms.
The title of this book expresses the author’s belief that wind power is an institutional confidence trick – succinctly summed-up by Lord David Howell, former Secretary of State for Energy in Mrs. Thatcher’s government: “Extensive wind farm developments will be seen in due course to have taken public opinion for a colossal ride.” It is indeed colossal – electricity compulsorily priced at two or three times its real value, saving a derisory amount of CO2 emission and, as conceded last year by the British Wind Energy Association, mitigating only half the amount of CO2 emission which was claimed for most wind farms already installed.
14th September 2009
stacey-international.co.uk
Health Canada from Grey Highlands
Health Canada Disagrees
Health Canada is now advising the wind industry
The wind industry and its supporters like to tell you
For example, despite overwhelming worldwide evidence
Health Canada begs to disagree.
Would the wind industry say Health Canada is “making things up”?
It’s easy to discredit people with sweeping but baseless generalizations.
We expect our governments to protect us.
Isn’t it time you asked our local MPP, Bill Murdoch, to listen
We also suggest it’s time you started asking wind proponents to back up
their claims
A public service message paid for by the citizens who
seek to preserve the quality of living in Grey Highlands.
People who actually live here and who care about this community.
Health Canada is now advising the wind industry
The wind industry and its supporters like to tell you
For example, despite overwhelming worldwide evidence
Health Canada begs to disagree.
Would the wind industry say Health Canada is “making things up”?
It’s easy to discredit people with sweeping but baseless generalizations.
We expect our governments to protect us.
Isn’t it time you asked our local MPP, Bill Murdoch, to listen
We also suggest it’s time you started asking wind proponents to back up
their claims
A public service message paid for by the citizens who
seek to preserve the quality of living in Grey Highlands.
People who actually live here and who care about this community.
Green Spaces in Ontario
I too live in a beautiful area of Ontario where we have wilderness all
about us..in fact a Black Bear wanders by every night to check out our
BBQ............. however I have a short experience to
relate.................My son got married up our way last weekend and the
Bride's parents came up from Peru for the event.
The Father could not believe the clean air, fresh water and abundance
of trees but his biggest surprise is that we did not lock our cars or doors
to our homes! We were at a Lodge locally for 3 days and throughout that
time were not home and our house was open...............he immediately fell
in love with our area and now wants to buy a summer cottage to experience
the "taken for granted by us" feeling of security in our own homes. This si
something most Canadians take for granted and must start to appreciate
because if this Industrial menace and our disgusting Government continues on
the path they are on we lose all of the above!
Thanks for listening
Carl
Madawaska Valley, Ontario
about us..in fact a Black Bear wanders by every night to check out our
BBQ............. however I have a short experience to
relate.................My son got married up our way last weekend and the
Bride's parents came up from Peru for the event.
The Father could not believe the clean air, fresh water and abundance
of trees but his biggest surprise is that we did not lock our cars or doors
to our homes! We were at a Lodge locally for 3 days and throughout that
time were not home and our house was open...............he immediately fell
in love with our area and now wants to buy a summer cottage to experience
the "taken for granted by us" feeling of security in our own homes. This si
something most Canadians take for granted and must start to appreciate
because if this Industrial menace and our disgusting Government continues on
the path they are on we lose all of the above!
Thanks for listening
Carl
Madawaska Valley, Ontario
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