by BETTER FARMING STAFF
Friends of Wind Ontario, launched in July and spearheaded by Kincardine-area farmer Jutta Splettstoesser, has held two information sessions designed to rebut anti-wind organizations.
The first two sessions - in Clinton on July 26 and Chatham on Aug. 18 - each drew about 100 people. The third and final session is scheduled for Sept. 8 in London at the Wolf Performance Hall, Central London Library. Speakers include Gideon Forman, executive director of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment (CAPE).
Splettstoesser said her mission, to inform people about the benefits of wind generation and debunk claims that wind turbines pose health risks, stems in part from the actions of her municipal council which ruled that setbacks for wind turbines had to be far greater than the 550 metres set by the province. She took a petition to Kincardine Council on April 5 signed by 110 people supporting the development of wind projects in her area. However, council ultimately approved a policy that calls for setbacks to be increased to 3,000 metres in urban areas; 2750 metres in rural hamlets and 800 metres in farm areas.
“In a democracy,” Splettstoesser said, “you have to listen to all sides and found it too one sided and nobody would take on the task (of supporting wind).”
Her plan is to continue voicing her support for wind leading up to the Oct. 6 Ontario election and she has plans to continue the work, less formally, beyond that. “I won’t stop helping our communities,” she said. BF
Comments
Really. Is the pro-industrial wind lobby totally irony impaired? The first thing the GEA did was strip municipal governments, thus local communities, the ability to affect in any real way- where, how much, under what conditions or any other issue industrial wind developments can go. She is right, it has been one-sided- and local communities have had all of their power taken away. Can't see the back of the McGuinty government and their frontmen/women soon enough.
When the Conservatives had their majority governments here prior to the liberals, they forced municipalities to merge all over the province and entire cities and towns ceased to exist as separate entities and became combined....just one example of how Provincial Governments can do what they decide is best for the entire province. Municipalities are creations of the Province , best not to forget that fact.
I live in Huron-Bruce. I have a strong third option and I might even vote for it this time, for the first time. After getting Mitchell's bit of taxpayer funded bs in the mail today I won't vote Liberal for sure (really though it is more of a last straw) and I sure as heck am not voting for someone with no real leadership experience in the Conservative candidate. So at this point if I mark an X it will be for the person I respect the most and that's Grant Robertson.
My neighbour, Burkhard Metzger, ran for a position on our municipal council last fall on the "anti-wind turbine" platform, and even though he'd never held political office before, topped the polls.
He subsequently claimed, in an interview with a local paper, that he'd never met anyone who supported wind turbines except those who stood to gain financially from having a turbine, or group of turbines, on their property.
Therefore, it seems abundantly clear that environmental "green" has absolutely nothing to do with support for wind turbines, but personal financial "green" does.
Stephen Thompson, Clinton, ON
Following your logic, does this mean that all those 80 to 90% of Ontarians polled in reputable surveys by independent researchers, all have a vested interest in gaining financially from supporting wind turbines? I think not.....maybe you need to talk with more people.
Liberal logic already discovered that T.O. proposed gas power backup plants evaporate poll support for so called "Green wind power". In other words, "simplistic polls" support building taxpayer subsidized wind turbines in rural Ontario far away from where the power is transported in the greenbelt around T.O.............,
However, when the same supporters find out that either the wind turbines or a mandatory gas fired backup plant will be located near them then their poll support evaporates.
Furthermore, tell them how much they will have to pay for this subsidized power plus the unnecessary grid upgrades and the support polls will drop to zip.
Finally, add in the huge transportation power losses from hundreds of kms of unnecessary transportation and the scam becomes obvious.
Allan
As a farmer I am wary of any bull survey. Even more so when people make wild claims that aren't fully fleshed out by detailing exactly what they were asked, in what order and the full statement going with the question. Industrial wind is a big ole difference from a little individual wind mill. The answers, I expect, would be very different to if the question was - we are putting one up next door to you - how do you like them apples.
80-90 per cent of urban people probably also think farmers should never use the road, or spread manure, or a thousand other things. By your "logic" we should just support that too. I'll believe that number the day 47 story high turbines in large numbers are found off the shore from cottages and line the Toronto waterfront.
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