Mass., Kennedys: Environmentalists face off in wind saga

[MH1]

I've been sort of following this issue. A private company is trying to build an offshore wind farm, off of Cape Cod. (TayTay probably knows far more than I do about the details). It is dicey because this is not the perfect wind farm project, yet some are trying to make that it is. Sigh. Anyway I didn't realize Robert Kennedy was in such a major role until I saw this:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10878360/from/RS.4/

Environmentalists face off in wind saga
Robert F. Kennedy challenged by others over proposed turbines

A long-simmering disagreement within the environmental community over a plan to build a massive wind farm off the coast of Cape Cod, Mass., is now boiling over into a highly public quarrel.

The four-year-old battle started heating up last summer when Greenpeace USA staged a demonstration against well-known eco-activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who's been an outspoken opponent of the proposal for a 130-turbine wind-power project in Horseshoe Shoal, a shallow portion of Nantucket Sound south of Cape Cod. Kennedy -- a senior attorney at Natural Resources Defense Council and a pioneer in the waterway-protection movement -- was on a sailboat for an event with the Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound, which opposes the wind project. A Greenpeace vessel cruised up alongside with a banner that read, "Bobby, you're on the wrong boat" -- a stunt that was part of a larger Greenpeace campaign pressuring Kennedy to change his mind on the development.

In mid-December, Kennedy, wanting to explain his position to critics and the public at large, published an impassioned op-ed in The New York Times in which he argued that the wind farm would mar a precious seascape, privatize a publicly owned commons, and damage the local economy.

(snip)

Cape Fear
In his op-ed, Kennedy contended that "undreds of flashing lights to warn airplanes away from the turbines will steal the stars and nighttime views. The noise of the turbines will be audible onshore ... the project will damage the views from 16 historic sites and lighthouses on the cape and nearby islands."

He framed the debate as a clash between industry and wilderness: "Some places should be off limits to any sort of industrial development. I wouldn't build a wind farm in Yosemite National Park. Nor would I build one on Nantucket Sound ... All of us need periodically to experience wilderness to renew our spirits and reconnect ourselves to the common history of our nation, humanity, and to God."

(snip)

Kennedy said in the interview that his primary concern is not the project's impact on wild sea life and ocean views, but the economic impact it would have on the local fishing community. "It will evict more than 100 of Cape Cod's treasured commercial fishermen who run sustainable operations from their traditional fishing grounds, and destroy their livelihood," he said, explaining that their nets would get tangled in the electric cables on the seabed. According to Kennedy, the project could have an over $1 billion impact on the local fishing industry and the tourist economy, given the blighted views and obstacles it would pose to the thousands of recreational sailors who visit Nantucket Sound annually.

This has got to be a tough one for Kerry.

Thoughts?

[TayTay]

1. Sen. Kennedy is agin it.

The Jr. Senator from MA is studying the issue. (Last I heard.) This is a classic no-win situation, as if he says yeah, build it, then he pisses off a lot of people incluidng homeowners and fishing interests there. If he says nay then they say it's a NIMBY thing, and he pisses off the environemtnalists. (Although no one has better environmental status than RFK, JR. He should have provided some cover for this.)

The Cape Cod Times newspaper has an on-going series on this. They are also awaiting the view of the Sen. Kerry.

[MH1]

2. Maybe he doesn't have to pick a side.

He can point out the issues on each side. But, it's not like he has to vote on it.

He can say, well they need to fix the environmental impact problems first (of course he also gets to wait until the environmental impact statement is complete). Another thing he could maybe do is, if the thing goes through anyway (remember he has no vote), seek remedies for damages to fishermen and other small businesses harmed by it.

[rox63]

3. I wonder why

they just don't put further out to sea. The winds would probably better out there anyway. Or is a matter of not being able to put it in international waters?

Even though I'm a Masshole, I don't generally follow the news out on the cape and islands. I can understand why the people who live in that area would be against it. In general, I believe wind power is a good idea. But would I want to gaze at a wind farm out the window of my over-priced cape or island home? Probably not.

[MH1]

4. Well, the daytime visibility isn't really the issue.

During the day the wind farm will just be tiny dots on the horizon. BUT -

* lots of noise. Supposedly audible on shore. Even so, for whatever range is affected, there goes the idyllic boat trips tourists like to take (and with them, the $$ local businesses make off the tourists)

* lots of lights at night. Having lived 5 years in southeast AZ (hardly any artificial light at night) and moved back to the East Coast (hardly any natural light (stars) visible at night due to all the artificial light), I can empathize. Maybe. Isn't it already bad now though? (I mean y'all are on the East Coast. Ya pretty much already lost any real night sky, haven't ya?)

* (allegedly) big problems for small commercial fishermen.

These are a lot of issues to consider. I'm not sure why they can't find a better place to put it then off Nantucket. :shrug: Aren't there plenty of already spoiled areas that would work?

Also, it annoys the hell out of me that we aren't putting solar cells on every building we can. Wind farms keep power generation centralized, which means profits accruing to big players. A more democratic solution for alternative energy is to make solar power accessible to average homeowners. But, there is much less opportunity for corporate profit (and having consumers by the short hairs) than with a centralized scheme.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for wind power as an improvement over fossil fuel and nuclear. But I'd rather see solar used wherever possible, and wind farms shouldn't get a pass on environmental impact any more than any other kind of power plant.

[TayTay]

5. The Cape Cod Times has a very extensive archive

on this. They went over a really good story about how wind power is being used in Ireland. Very interesting stuff and food both sides.

http://www.capecodonline.com/special/windfarm/