Interesting to see an article in yesterday’s Financial Post in which it says U.S. farmers are struggling to meet demand for food in that country despite record plantings of grain. Some of the blame is connected to the fact that the U.S. is devoting significant acreage to corn destined for ethanol, not food (thank you again, Al Gore).
The story is here. http://www.nationalpost.com/news/Farmers+strive+meet+rising+food+demand/4553188/story.html
One of the pitches the corporate wind developers use to farmers and government alike is that they are helping to “save” the “family farm” by providing revenue from leases for industrial wind turbines. Here’s a different view, from a farm owner in Millbrook, Ontario, writing in Ontario Farmer on the subject of industrial wind power generation projects.
“…550 metres is a number based on the distance between two concession roads and…a greater setback would essentially void these developments. This means that turbine placement has been reduced from a question of health, safety and environment to one of business. That is, if it is good for business to proceed with construction then it shall be so regardless of any aforementioned potential impacts.
“In my previous letter I requested that we halt these developments until the scientific community has had the opportunity to complete objective, peer reviewed epidemiological studies not funded by wind companies OR anti-turbine advocates. [Ed.: believe me, we don’t have the money to do THAT] This apporach takes time. We should allow this process to unfold, rather than railroad developments through.”
In another letter to the same publication, different edition, yet another farm owner writes: “I am all for green energy but could we not erect these turbines in wind parks away from people and good farmland? I am just a simple thinker but there is so much space in this province, where nobody would be bothered by wind turbines. … I call on my fellow farmers and landowners not to sign up. I am aware that some agricultural commodities have been in dire straits, but they are recovering and I see a good future in the agricultural industry. World population is on the rise and it is expected there will be seven billion people on this planet this year, and predictions of two billion more in the next forty years. Yes we need to produce more energy, but we also need a lot more food.Let us farmers agree to stay in the food business instead of in the energy business.”
A new video is up on the Internet with an animated ironic view of the pitch from corporate wind salespeople. It isn’t really funny when you consider all the points covered are true. Here is the link:
Last, a question: if wind power is so “green” and “clean” and “free” why are there not giant wind developments in the poorest countries of the world to help them?
northgowerwindactiongroup@yahoo.ca and you may follow us on Twitter at northgowerwind
The North Gower Wind Action Group Inc. is a community group representing several hundred families in the North Gower-south Richmond area of Ottawa; we are a member of Wind Concerns Ontario Inc., a coalition of 57 community groups interested in the appropriate siting of wind power generation facilities.
Great post, North Gower. It’s good to see farmers waking up to the scam that is industrial wind energy. As a farmer who was approached to host a turbine, the video clip almost verbatim, reiterates what we went through with the wind developer.
Unfortunately the turbines went up and now I am faced with neighbours unwilling to speak out about the effects the turbines are having on them. Now that the turbines are here, everyone is resolved to try and live with them and yet I have friends and family complaining about migraines, irregular heart beats, dizzy spells, and ear pain. No one wants to file formal complaints with the MOE. A very sad state of affairs when people are either too intimidated or fearful to speak out.
That was written BEFORE we saw the film “The Future of Food” on TVOntario which blames climate change for food shortages but also the highly industrialized and mechanized farm operations prevalent today, which are “fossil-fuel thirsty.” Apparently, it takes 5 kCal of energy to create 1 kCal of produce the mechanized way but the exact opposite is true when you sue more traditional methods of farming. In the film they showed farmers in Cuba returning to using livestock to plough fields and their yield increased incredibly.
But yes, farm owners were told very interesting things…not to their benefit perhaps, or the community’s.