With all the recent media buzz over a proposed wind energy project in the Pugwash/Gulf Shore area, it seems strange that this has not engendered howls of protest from the other dozen or more areas in Nova Scotia where similar projects are being developed.
There are a couple of reasons why this could be. The local residents may not be aware of a potential project or there are no nearby residents to complain. I suggest the latter is the more likely scenario. That is: that these projects are more appropriately located, away from populated areas.
The wind energy project in Pugwash would impact hundreds of year round and seasonal residents. These people come here to live, play and retire for the peace, quiet and beauty of the area.
A petition signed by over 500 people makes it very clear that there is strong opposition to this project.
What does it take for the proponent to understand that this opposition and bad press over this project could harm future wind energy projects in this province?
16 comments:
One of the reasons could also be the locations planned would only affect the large area land owners who have chosen monetary compensation over their own peace and quiet. No opposition is heard here in Pugwash/Gulf Shore from large area land owners with leases already signed, or with lands they hope to sign over to the developers.
The only reason thee is no public oppostion to other projects is because AWPC is the only one that has openly discussed their future plans. I know you are thinking that Shearwind has, but why don't you give them a call and ask to see their plans. They will tell you to go pound sand. The information they have produced so far is for stock manipulation purposes only. At least AWPC has shown you all their plans. I can tell you that there are projects in the cue that are within the same distance as this project. Why don't you go ranting and raving all over the province, but make sure you don't trip over your own stupidity along the way!
It is spelled "queue"
You know as I sit here I am going crazy by the noise around me. It is repetitive and extremely irritating. I have not been able to sleep in 3 days and I think I might have to think about relocating my cottage back to the Muskokas. I wonder if I can transport my cottage all the way there? hmmm.
Actually I have a better idea and thank you Lisa for giving me such inspiration. I think I will start my own blog. You know what I will call it. "The End of The Cricket!". Those incessant B@#$&!@#S have driving me mad every summer, when I am trying to enjoy the piece and quite of my cottage. I beleive a mass extinction of crickets will solve this problem forme and every other person that has been bothered by crickets. While i'm at it I think I will throw a rock and smash that light that is on the road outside my cottage, it's constant buzzing has driven me over the edge. I wonder if this decible thing that Lisa talks about is as high with crickets and lamp posts as compared to wind turbines. I think their higher, but maybe I should coinfirm with my grade 8 science teacher first!
John is right about the Higgins Mountain machines. They are not as noisy as you are all proclaiming. I have been out there several times and have never once heard them until I stepped out of my truck. How many times have you been there anonymous that proclaims them to be so NOISY?
Your 500 signatures on the petition will not be taken seriously. You know why. Because there are not 500 people that are within 2 Km's of this proposed wind farm that would be effected. The other 490 or so signatures will be tossed out, because they have been influenced merely by the fact that they may not like the look of these machines, but they will not fall ill to VAD like I am sure you are telling them they will!
Low frequency infrasonic sound is not absorbed like mid range frequencies and this sound has been known to travel for miles.Thunder is an example.The continuous sound generated from a wind farm will unknowingly affect people for great distances.
They won't hear it but their bodies will feel it!
Thunder and wind farms, hmmm! So if you count the amount of seconds that it takes for you to hear each swoosh than that will tell you exact distance that the turbine is away from you? Your statement is as redundant as Lisa's spelling correction response to a legitimate retort!
In today's Oxford Journal there is notice from 3G Energy proposing to expand their windfarm on Higgins Mountain by adding sixty-six (66) new turbines. An information session will be held August 2 at Westchester Fire Hall, 4-8 pm. This company is also proposing to add six (6) turbines at Springhill. This is why the Nova Scotia government has to place a moratorium on all windfarm developments until safe setbacks from residential areas are in place.
Excellent opinion piece dated July 17, 2007 in Amherst Daily News Online by a summer resident, Donaldson is surname I believe.
When you mean excellent opinion you mean one that is one sided and in your favour. Excellent is not what this opinion is by Mr. Donaldson of Ottawa. He continually quotes possible outcomes and circumstances as being fact or that atleast the "truth" should be sought on whether or not more Americans and central Canadians will find there way here next year after the turbines are up. This project will not affect many people as you are all proclaiming. The only real argument that you have is that within 2 Km there could be the possibility that someone may encounter the effects of VAD. Anyone outside of this radius cannot qualify as oppostion, because there intent is for aesthetic purposes only. Or money as D. Donaldson puts it. It is funny how he says that a few people are trying to get rich off this project and then on the other hand asks if his own property values, tourist dollars and the overall value of the community will be depresssed. You people keep riding on the coat tails of peoples opinions, which in their nature cannot gain credibility, because the way that they are speaking can almost be directly quoted from your own words that you have been feeding them. Plus the fact that what they are saying nine times out of ten is actually not factual, did I hear D. Donaldson say that the WHO has there own report on 2 KM setbacks. I believe one of your trusted doctors published a report to the WHO, that does not mean it has been endorsed by them. As long as you continue to harness these false allegations as reasons to continue your opposition you will not be taken seriously. There are only a few people that might be effected by this windfarm development and society or the courts will determine the best way to deal with them. In terms of the rest of you, well you are just a bunch of mislead hyprocritical cry babies and your names aren't worth the petition that there found on!
Charlie, you just aren't going to be able to snow the residents of the Gulf Shore. We will not be complacent and have this forest of inefficient,noisey, undependable eyesores thrust into our midst. You have said several times that if a windfarm wasn't wanted you would pack up your tent and go elsewhere. What part of NO do you not understand!!... Well,... can we give you a hand with those tent pegs?
Hard to see how propose turbines could affect " hundreds". The fact that they can't will limit the credibility of any petition signed by anyone residing at any distance more than 1 km. Campgrounds at 7 km, golf couses at 5 km and gated communities at 15 km are good places to gather support but are irrelevant to the question.
Coming from Pugwash, you climb almost to the Irving farm. Woods line the top of the hill on the south side of the Gulf Shore Road. No turbine will be seen until you drive to the village - Irving boundry. Continuing , you have to turn around and come back toward Pugwash to examine the sightline at the other end of the windfarm. Just past Lisa Betts' property a clump of woods masks the view. Try it. Sight on the test tower and see it visible for less than 4 km along the road. Even extrapolating 30% higher doesn't make it visible past these sightline boundaries. Now check houses in his are.13, 2 are Irving so they aren't opposed and two are abandoned so they don't oppose.
All cottages are on the oppositeside of the road and like cottage everywhere gather near water. Thus the ottages are farther away from the turbine site than the houses. The nearest cottage to a turbine lot is 800 meters away and the roadways parallelling the shore are 900 meters or more distant.
John McManus
And what about the rights of all the land owners bordering the Irving properties? John MacManus, you have no clue how many future retirees there are with plans already in the works to build retirement homes in this area. These are generational homesteads and we have to the right to retire here in peace without our rights being transferred, for profit, to a wind developer and two leasing families.
where's the info on the lawsuit being dropped, don't you think we should have more info on this. Or is this blog a one way street.
I have visited windfarms in Ontario quite a few years ago and there was no sound from them. I would rather windfarms in my backyard than NSPC. Maybe NSPC will build a power generating station on the Gulf shore. Would that be better?
There are not 500 people living in that area to sign a petition so I don't know how a petition would work there.
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