Wind opponents generate dissension

© AgMedia Inc.

Pembina Institute presenters got an earful from Ontario residents opposed to wind turbines

photo: Anti-wind demonstrators assemble in front of the Alhambra Hall in Grand Bend

Comments

Who would want a solar farm or a bunch of windmills by there land. They are no different than a sud-division or sky scrapers near your home. they could take all them and shove them ,you know where.

What about those pesky new-fangled automobiles too! Bring back the horses...

...idiot

What about those pesky new-fangled Hydro or Nuclear generators too? Bring back the windmills....

....idiot!

It's remarkable that bus loads of anti-wind advocates from around Ontario are picked up at their homes and villages by buses, driven long distances and then returned at no expense to them. They do this to picket Queen's Park in the dozens and to rudely disrupt events such as this one by the Pembina Institute. Following the money leads to organizations such as the union representing coal workers.

Ontario has, in part due to wind farms, cut coal generation from 20% to 3% of its generating mix in the past 9 years and cut CO2e emissions from 45 to 15 megatonnes, an amazing and positive result. Those opposed are creating fear and adverse effects, not wind turbines.

http://www.quora.com/Wind-Power/What-might-cause-people-who-live-near-wi...

Although I have been to many protests regarding Industrial Wind (and please note it is the Industrial-sized turbines we are protesting) no one except me has ever paid for my expenses - not for the bus, the signs, the other expenses. When ordinary individuals dig deep into their pockets for a cause such as protesting Industrial Wind Turbines you can be sure they care deeply about it. We do. Our lives are being ruined and we are spending our own money to fight it - there are many things I would much rather spend the money on.

If you look at the data, it is not wind that has replaced coal - it is nuclear and gas for the most part. Go to the IESO site and compare 2003 - 2012.

It is so easy for those not directly affected by wind turbines to dismiss the questions and concerns of those living in rural Ontario; to accuse us of being funded by multinational corporations.

I was in Grand Bend protesting the Pembina presentation on Tuesday night, along with many of my neighbours. We are deeply concerned that there are so many unanswered questions surrounding wind turbines. We are simply demanding to be heard - like the mother of an autistic child who cannot get answers about how the 154 proposed turbines, a substation and transmission lines around her farm will affect her child; like the woman who currently lives near the turbines in Kincardine who is very sick and cannot get anyone to investigate; like the woman whose home was bought by the wind company because she and her husband were sick, and they were subjected to a gag order so they are unable to publically speak about it. This is our reality in rural Ontario.

We implore you to research this issue thoroughly before you cast dispersions on very hard working people who will not stop fighting this madness until we are heard.

you are no different than the people of Elliot Lake with ehir mishap, people in power knew long before there was danger people died notthe premier wants to investigate. So wait 10 years and there will be an investigation and many sick people, wonder were mcginty will be?????. you only get one shoot for agood life
We welcome thoughtful comments and ideas.

Your posting reads way-too suspiciously like it was crafted by a public-relations person employed by a pro-wind turbine organization, and then made to look like it came from a lay person. One of the true downsides to a site like this one, and the reason why I always sign my postings, is that the site can easily be "spammed" by professionals and/or organizations, with way-more than just a little bias and financial self-interest. More to the point, when it comes to fear-mongering, you are a classic example of the pot calling the kettle black.

Stephen Thompson, Clinton ON

even Thompson is wearing out

While I don't feel I am "wearing out", I may be seen, since this is electricity, as "burning out", but I don't feel that either.

Stephen Thompson, Clinton ON

First of all, in Ontario, we're hardly dependent on Coal-Fired generation. Nearly 80% of our power comes from Hydro and Nuclear today. We're one of the cleanest emitting jurisdictions in the world - today without wind turbines. Second, the article fails to mention that the reason there is so much build activity in Ontario is because the wonderful Green Energy Act offers those lucky "wind companies" guaranteed pricing approximately 3 times what us luck taxpayers are paying for our nuclear/hydro generated electricity. It is, purportedly, the best deal anywhere in the world. The GEA was effectively written by Big Wind. Third, Industrial Wind Turbines (not "wind mills") in Ontario, produce power at between 20-30% of nameplate capacity. Approximately 1 day out of 10, they produce zero power. When there is no wind, we have to use Gas Generators (spinning reserve) to replace whatever Wind is contributing. If we didn't put up the IWTs, replaced our few remaining coal plants with Gas generators, and entered into a strategic hydro purchase agreement with our Quebec neighbours we actually wouldn't need any new generation for some time to come. The Green Energy Act has no provisions, incentives, R&D funding or anything like that for Energy Storage so we actually end up shutting down Hydro to use Wind energy some of the time.

Actually a bunch of us, who aren't in favour of investing $13B in machines with 20% efficiency ratings, understand the science behind Climate Change. We just have a little difficulty understanding how IWTs will actually reduce GHG. It hasn't happened in Europe - in fact, they building more Gas/Coal generators to compensate for the variable nature of the Wind generation. Amazing how that works, isn't it. Now the "Wind Company" gets to partner with the "Gas Company" and they get to build two generators where only one was needed before PLUS they get to increase demand for transmission lines and gas pipelines.

In Ontario, our air quality has been steadily improving for the past 20 years. In fact, now that most of the manufacturing sector has shut down, its actually pretty good. Turns out the majority of our emissions now come from a) transportation and b) the industrial emissions of our good neighbours in Ohio/Michigan etc

I find it curious that the individual that wrote this comment would not identify him/herself. I can assure everyone that there is no money from any union/coal companys supporting the anti-wind protesters. I can,t say that for the Pembina Institute. Several weeks ago I assisted in circulating a petition in our community opposing the NextEra Bornish Wind farm which was presented to council. I was surprised at the high percentage, 80+%, that were vehemently opposed to and signed eagerly! One individuall stated that they had gone to an anti-wind meeting and that the only ones there were against the turbines. I asked if they had been to any free, volunteer led pro turbine meetings. Well no, but they had been to a NextEra "Community Input" meeting. They had no idea that those meetings were mandated by the government and that they only needed to have two per project and they were as good as assured a go for the project. I asked if they had asked any questions. Yes!! Did you get any answers? NO, the person that was responsible wasn,t there that night. Then how do you make a decision on no info?
Is coal being decreased? Yes. Have turbines and solar done that? No. Contracts with gas co-gen plants have taken up the majority of the slack plus in case the info isn,t out there Ontario is losing its manufacturing base which requires electricity 24/7. Wind and solar just don,t make it.

get your facts straight!! These people drive on their own dime. If they go by bus to Toronto, they pay for it themselves. They don't have the luxury of GOVERNMENT and BIG WIND FUNDING like the Pembina people. (Remember the government money is yours and mine!!)

I agree with Stephen, it does smell.... No one was bused in, and the rest of your post is full of lies and misinformation. Wow are you guys getting desperate.

The question I nearly got removed by security for in London last night was: how big are the turbines near Heidi? 1.5MW,2MW, 3MW..? Tim Weis said yep yep yep to all of them. They sure didn't look that size in the pictures. So the question was asked again later that night. Heidi said they were 80m high. Well.... that is HALF the size of the suckers they are putting up here! 750KW turbines? Apples to oranges my dear!
BTW if you brought paper into the venue in London- you were charged with trespassing. I think they were scared of 'other' information. No verbal questions were allowed either. It was not a 'discussion'.

Who bussed them in? Anyone who does not understand or wish to understand the anger at the invasion of their communities by giant, noisy spinning skyscrapers suddently reverts to conspiracy theories. Give it up. Local people are angry. There is no big organization behind this. You are simply using a weak ploy to discredit their opinions.

Heidi admits she was fortunate that her building locations block the effects of noise from the turbines.
She also claims the wind company wouldn’t put a turbine in her valley location because of wind “turbulence”. There are tons of valley locations in Ontario, yet wind companies say build baby build. Turbulence of course equates to blade cyclical pulsations especially at night. Also, I suspect Ontario “wind shear” conditions are not replicated on the open prairies either.

Heidi’s You Tube video clearly shows the most glaring difference to Ontario conditions. Clearly, the whole comparison is not even remotely comparable and or relevant to rural Ontario geographic terrain or population density conditions.

Finally, in Ontario, last year’s evidence from the Chatham ERT hearing shows even the wind companies admitting under GEA regs, at least 10% of receptors will experience problems because of multiple wind turbine impacts.

Many countries around the world are moving to setbacks of 2km or more. Ontario’s citizens deserve similar protection.

Get your fact straight!! The anti wind people are funded out of their own pocket. They do not have the luxury of GOVERNMENT OR BIG WIND funding like the Pembina people. Remember the government funding comes from you & I. If we choose to take a bus to Toronto, we do it on our own dime, NOT YOURS OR ANYONE ELSE. Carol

■Ontario Electricity Production (IESO)
Total demand: 17676 MW (2:00 PM EDT - Jun. 27, 2012) ** Total generation: 19587 MW (Jun. 27 - 12:00-13:00) ** Excess generation: 1911 MW ** WIND: 227 MW: 1.3% of demand, 1.2% of generation, 11.9% of excess generation

I have been to a few protests in the Grand Bend area, where I chose to live, by the lake, in the peace and quiet of the country side. We moved from the big city to do this. I have not seen one bus, only lots of cars bringing in all the individuals, including myself, to these meetings, purely to protest the lack of reason and to protest the fact that no one will listen. We actually have people who are well informed on our side, who can speak eloquantly(sp) about the facts, they are not Public relations, they are just speaking from the heart.

http://media.cns-snc.ca/ontarioelectricity/cns_e_chart.png
Where is my Electricity coming From? (If I live in Ontario)
Data provided by ieso.ca presented by cns-snc.ca
Jun-28-2012,(09:45:01 AM)

NUCLEAR-59.02% 10547MW
GAS – 18.88% 3374MW
HYDRO – 17.11% 3057MW
COAL – 2.81% 503MW
WIND – 1.09% 195MW
OTHER – 1.08% 194MW

The number of narrow minded Luddites that get their info from internet conspiracy sites is astounding!

They are the first to complain about the cost of electricity when the bill arrives. The same group complain about cell towers, but all of them have cell phones.

Land values is their battle cry, but in reality the value of their land is artificially inflated to begin with.

Get a grip people!

Complaining about complaining...... Look who's talking
And oh yea....Get a Grip.

Us "resistors" or "receptors" as the Wind Industry frequently calls us don't use conspiracy sites. The studies we cite are conducted by professional, accredited doctors, physicists, acousticians, public health professionals, GIS specialists, power utility executives, economists, etc. etc. etc. Of course, we are complaining about our sky-rocketing hydro bills - the real question is what aren't you? Ontario's power rates are increasing faster than any other jurisdiction in Canada and the US. By the end of next year, we will have the highest prices for electricity of any jurisdiction in the US and Canada other than Hawaii. Period. That's not debatable - its just a near certain event that will occur. Over that time, we will have generated continuously, a surplus of electricity, increased the Global Adjustment charge by double and driven industries (other than 3 Wind Turbine assembly plants who may not pay ANYTHING for their electricity as part of their GEA deal) out of the province. There are multiple independent land appraisal studies that demonstrate conclusively that land values are negatively impacted by the presence of Industrial Wind Turbines. (not by Solar Panels, not by Geothermal plants, not by hydro facilities - BY IWTS!) and several more coming. You're right people don't like cell towers, but their impact zone is many times smaller than the fields of thousands of IWTs that are planned for our lake shores and farm lands. Get a grip??? I'm watching my house value evaporate and you want me to get a grip??? Show me what to grip.

Would be interested in hearing OFA executive policy? k g kimball

Post new comment

To prevent automated spam submissions leave this field empty.
Image CAPTCHA
We welcome thoughtful comments and ideas. Comments must be on topic. Cheap shots, unsubstantiated allegations, anonymous attacks or negativity directed against people and organizations will not be published. Comments are modified or deleted at the discretion of the editors. If you wish to be identified by name, which will give your opinion far more weight and provide a far greater chance of being published, leave a telephone number so that identity can be confirmed. The number will not be published.