Wind Turbines Pt 3 and the loud call for public education

Love them or hate them, more wind turbines will eventually be marching across our landscape just as metal hydro towers with electrical lines over their shoulders (and delivering coal-fired energy) did many years ago.

Some will fear for the loss of a pristine view of the sunset, others will fear for the loss of tourism dollars, others will fear higher bills in the mail, others will fear the turbines won’t be built quickly enough for their own benefit (or for the benefit of others).


Whatever the case, more public education about matters related to the pros and cons of wind turbines needs to takes place.

“Nobody is telling anybody anything and the deadline is fast approaching,” said Cam Spooner of Arva who has a cottage with a view of the lake (Huron). (Aug. 18, London Free Press)

And from the same newspaper article:

“Residents are organizing to fight an enemy whose face and plans aren’t entirely clear.”

Whether the information re turbines (e.g., where, when, how many, at what cost) is out there or not, the government and turbine companies seem to be leaving citizens with the impression that not enough is known about the future of energy in this province.

In my humble opinion, the Ont. government is missing a golden opportunity to inform the public about the pros and cons associated with all forms of hydro production and what the real costs are associated with the high-energy lifestyle that so many Ontarians wish to pursue.

Whenever someone complains about how a turbine affects the view or real estate values our Premier or Energy Minister should talk about how coal-fired energy plants affect the view in a worse way and how coal dust affects the lungs and who pays for the surgery or burial of those affected by respiratory illnesses.

Whenever someone complains about the spike in their hydro bills our government leaders should inform the public about exact expenses related to coal-fired hydro plants from beginning to end, as well as about present and future wind turbines, and nuclear-power plants.

The citizens of Ontario are well educated and can absorb history and economic lessons about costs related to energy production going back 50 - 60 years. And such lessons might put our lifestyles in perspective. I.e., they may be quite excessive because of cheap fuel and energy costs.

We might also learn that the clock is ticking on cheap power and subsequent inflated lifestyles.

In conclusion, the loudest call should be for public education. Not that lovely views, tourism dollars, real estate values and low hydro bills aren’t important.

But we can’t continue to live without the knowledge of the true costs associated with the vast amount of fuel we require to live as we wish.

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Live small and prosper.

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