NOT IN MY BACK YARD
I live in the hills of Western Massachusetts. For years now there has been an effort made to promote wind energy on the tops of our most scenic mountains. Up until very recently there has been strong opposition to cluttering up the scenery with wind towers, mostly by the NIMBY people. Not In My Back Yard.
In this area is Jiminy Peak. Jiminy is a year around resort ski area on the Mass NY border that rivals those major ski areas of southern Vermont. Jiminy recently erected a huge wind turbine. Jiminy's wind turbine is reported to provide half of their power requirements. This is a considerable savings as they are a huge consumer of electricity.
In my humble opinion, the turbine is not offensive to my eyes in the least. I look around and see far more offensive sites. I loudly applaud the effort to go to green energy.
The NIMBY peoples have been quiet and public reaction in generable has been favorable. This may be due to $3/gal gas prices and $3.25/heating oil prices and those both constantly rising. The day of our chosing oil as first choice for energy is obviosly no longer sensible. I do not beleive we will ever see cheap oil again.
Recently Jiminy announced they were forming a company to provide financing and expertise to municipalities and other entities that also desired to utilize wind energy but did not have the resources to pull it off. Jiminy's new company beleives they have serveral other viable projects in the conduit.
I can understand and appreciate those that do not like the thought of wind towers cluttering up the scenery. Be nice too if the hills of western mass were void of clutter. That would include power lines, McMansions on the tops of hills and of course roads. Be nice if the view of the ocean was unobstructed. Be nice too if you did not have to look at ocean side mansions obstructing the view or limiting the access to the beaches. Sadly, we are far removed from the pristine environment that greeted the first settlers to this coast. Change has happened and will continue. It would be nice if change was not necessary.
I encourage those of you that are opposed to wind energy and the profile it adds to the view, to consider the alternatives. America's dependence on foreign oil must end sooner or later. The clean energy of wind power is a very viable altenative. Would you prefer to see oil platforms? Be thankfull that someone wants to build something that utilizes a green energy source.
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