On Saturday May 12, 2012 the residents of Falmouth again stated their concerns about health impacts from the two town-owned turbines and the privately-owned commercial turbine.
Sean Teehan reported in Cape Cod Online on May 13, 2012 about the “Small, ‘unfiltered’ protest held against Falmouth turbines”
FALMOUTH — Led by selectman candidate David Moriarty, 12 people gathered at the wastewater treatment facility Saturday to speak out against wind turbines.
“This is real people speaking the truth – unfiltered,” Moriarty said.
Diane Broncaccio writes that Colrain and Heath have taken actions to evaluate industrial wind development in their towns as she continues her valuable reporting on hill town activities for the Greenfield Recorder.
In Colrain, residents approved a one-year moratorium on facilities the produce more than 35 kilowatts of power (“Colrain approves zoning revisions“).
Heath’s annual town meeting approved a year-long moratorium on large-scale wind (as well as photovoltaic electricity-generating systems).
…they also agreed — unanimously — to allow voting on wind- and solar bylaws at a special town meeting, should the town have laws to adopt before a year is up.
Moderator Douglas Wilkins explained that the town rarely votes on important zoning bylaws at a special town meeting, but doing so now could mean the town would have its own wind turbine and solar PV bylaws in place before the state Legislature approves a statewide siting law.
“If they (Heath’s siting bylaws) are in place, we’re more protected,” Wilkins said. If they’re not in place, he added, the state commercial siting bylaws may take precedence.
“There are entities in the state that are trying to circumvent home rule by using an energy reform act to streamline (siting) so these big, industrial wind things can be put in without the town having any input,” said Bob Dane, a resident.
From “Heath moves to pre-empt state siting laws, at The Recorder, May 14 2012.
Windfall hits the small screen – Director Laura Israel — Sun. 5/13/12, 7pm ET
Discussion with Laura Israel the director of the movie Windfall includes two Meredith residents, Keitha Capouya and Ken Jaffe, MD. Keitha currently serves as Meredith’s Town Supervisor and Ken runs Slope Farms which specializes in grass-fed, organic beef. Annette Smith, Executive Director of Vermonter’s for a Clean Environment, co-hosts this episode.
Laura Israel, Director/Producer
WINDFALL director Laura Israel grew up in New Jersey and after earning a degree in film from NYU, she edited music videos for Lou Reed, Keith Richards, David Byrne, New Order, Patti Smith, Ziggy Marley, Sonic Youth and many others. Laura has worked as photographer/filmmaker Robert Frank’s editor for nearly two decades; the films have screened all over the world and won many awards. She also edited Stephanie Black’s feature documentary AFRICA UNITE, LIFE FOR A CHILD directed by Academy Award nominated DP Ed Lachman and MUSIC OF REGRET by photographer Laurie Simmons. Editing credits include advertising and television promo campaigns that have garnered AICP awards, International Film and TV awards, a GLAAD award, an Emmy award, and a Monitor award for editing. This is Laura Israel’s first film as director, and she was named one of Filmmaker Magazine’s 25 New Faces of Independent Film.
ABOUT THE FILM
Wind power… it’s sustainable … it burns no fossil fuels…it produces no air pollution. What’s more, it cuts down dependency on foreign oil. That’s what the people of Meredith, in upstate New York first thought when a wind developer looked to supplement the rural farm town’s failing economy with a farm of their own — that of 40 industrial wind turbines. WINDFALL, a beautifully photographed feature length film, documents how this proposal divides Meredith’s residents as they fight over the future of their community. Attracted at first to the financial incentives that would seemingly boost their dying economy, a group of townspeople grow increasingly alarmed as they discover the impacts that the 400-foot high windmills slated for Meredith could bring to their community as well as the potential for financial scams. With wind development in the United States growing annually at 39 percent, WINDFALL is an eye-opener that should be required viewing for anyone concerned about the environment and the future of renewable energy.
Keitha Capouya – Meredith Planning Board chairperson for 5 years. Although this is a volunteer position, Keitha diligently takes on the task of critically researching the Meredith wind proposal for over a year in order to write a wind facilities zoning ordinance for the town. Keitha reveals that she has owned a publishing company with her husband and in fact, has written and edited encyclopedias. Keitha currently serves as Meredith’s Town Supervisor.
Ken Jaffe, MD – Doctor from Brooklyn NY, moved to Meredith to raise grass fed beef. Also has a degree in public health, and explains the sound issues and potential health concerns with wind turbines. Ken is Frank Bachler’s closest neighbor, and is the first resident to find out about the proposal. Ken practiced family medicine for 25 years, after which he studied public health at Columbia University. This let to a strong interest in the relationship between human health and the way we raise livestock. He currently operates Slope Farms in Meredith, NY where he raised grass fed beef for restaurants, butcher shops, and individuals.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May, 9, 2012
Contact: David Moriarty, 774-521-8474, waveydavei@aol.com
Selectboard Candidate David Moriarty invites everyone, Falmouth residents and non-residents, to join him SATURDAY, 10 AM, 2012, AT THE FALMOUTH WASTE WATER FACILITY TO PARTICIPATE IN A “SPEAKOUT AGAINST THE WINDTURBINES”.
Guest speakers have been invited to this rally to give their ideas and impressions of the almost two years of health destroying of life in Falmouth under the turbines.
Audience participants are urged to come forward and speak their minds.
We are calling for the IMMEDIATE SHUTOFF AND REMOVAL OF ALL INDUSTRIAL SCALE WINDTURBINES FROM THE TOWN OF FALMOUTH.
We welcome speakers from all over the State and beyond ; especially our sister towns to come join us and give voice to their concerns that have been imposed on them by INDUSTRIAL SCALE WINDPOWER.
Vermont just threw out their RPS in the energy bill passed on May 4, 2012. Final energy bill passes, minus renewable portfolio standard reports Alan Panebaker, writing in VTDigger.org (“a statewide news website dedicated to coverage of Vermont politics, consumer affairs, business, and public policy”). He describes the way Vermont went about revising its approach to renewables.
Comments responding to the article show the way RPSs distort energy distribution, and Willem Post draws attention to the unglamorous but beneficial practice of energy efficiency (EE)–something not captured in a renewable portfolio standard.
It would be much wiser, and more economical, to shift subsidies away from expensive renewables, that produce just a little of expensive, variable, intermittent energy, towards increased EE. Those renewables would not be needed, if those funds were used for increased EE.
EE is the low-hanging fruit, has not scratched the surface, is by far the best approach, because it provides the quickest and biggest “bang for the buck”, AND it is invisible, AND it does not make noise, AND it does not destroy pristine ridge lines/upset mountain water runoffs, AND it would reduce CO2, NOx, SOx and particulates more effectively than renewables, AND it would not require any distribution network build-outs, AND it would slow electric rate increases, AND it would slow fuel cost increases, AND it would slow depletion of fuel resources, AND it would create 3 times the jobs and reduce 3-5 times the Btus and CO2 per invested dollar than renewables, AND all the technologies are fully developed, AND it would end the subsidizing of renewables tax-shelters at the expense of rate payers, AND it would be more democratic/equitable, AND it would do all this without public resistance and controversy.
Testimony will determine whether action by the Board of Health is warranted.
Falmouth, MA – Tonight Falmouth’s Board of Health voted unanimously to hold a public hearing on Thursday May 24th to solicit testimony from Falmouth residents suffering adverse health impacts from anywind turbine in the town. Based on that testimony, the Board of Health will determine if a health emergency exists and take whatever action is warranted.
Board discussion began with correspondence from Day Mount concerning the exacerbation of his heart condition due to the operation of the wind turbines. Kathy Mount, his wife, spoke to that letter and presented yet another finding this by a Decision of the Ontario Environmental Review Tribunal (ERT) ruling that the debate should not be whether wind turbines cause harm but how far away from residences wind turbines should be sited.
In addition Kathy Mount read and submitted another letter from both her and her husband suggesting that the Board shut down the turbines and have the state make a determination as to whether the turbines are safe to operate. This opened discussion amongst the board regarding how to proceed knowing that “health complaints have been being registered for two years now and that they don’t seem to be going away”.
Board members seemed moved by the number of people moving away to eliminate the harmful exposure. A resident in attendance at tonight’s meeting informed the Board that one wind turbine neighbor had recently attempted suicide.
After considerable thoughtful discussion the Board voted unanimously to hold a public hearing to fully document just what the adverse health impacts are so as to determine whether an unsafe health condition exists and whether action by the Board is warranted.
The Board is requiring written testimony for its assessment of the health impact. Residents will have until May 31st to make their submissions. However, the May 24th hearing will allow residents a three minute opportunity to speak to that testimony. Check the Falmouth Enterprise for the legal announcement for more details.
Trouble in Paradise on Wind Wise Radio
This Sunday at 7:00 pm, Wind Wise Radio will interview people in Hawaii and Arizona who are fighting industrial wind deployment in environmentally sensitive and culturally important natural areas. Host Harley Keisch talks with activists, reviews the week’s headlines, and encourages listener calls.
We will be talking with leaders on Lana’i, on Molokai, and in Arizona’s Canyon Country who are all standing up to Big Wind’s deep pockets, greedy corporations, hordes of lobbyists, and misguided politicians.
There is a dangerous trend brewing as even precious unspoiled places with regional or world wide significance are being prospected and proposed for industrial scale wind development. For example, this past week in California a vote to approve a project on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands, the Deerfield Wind project in Green Mountain National Forest is being fast tracked by the Feds, the Gallitzin State Forest in Pennsylvania is threatened by IWT. The country around the Grand Canyon is targeted for industrialization. On Lana’i and Molokai the storm clouds have gathered. The forces arrayed against these precious places are numerous, well funded, and well protected. We have only the truth and our voices.
2012 Special Town Meeting Warrant ARTICLE 8 – WIND TURBINE MORATORIUM
We the registered voters of the town of Fairhaven, petition the town meeting to vote to immediately place a moratorium, to continue for one year following the date of this vote, to direct all elected Board members within the town of Fairhaven, and all appointed officials or employees of the Town of Fairhaven, to take all actions necessary, to cease, suspend and otherwise prohibit the permitting, construction, installation, and contract negotiation for the siting of any industrial-sized commercial or municipal wind turbines anywhere within the borders of the town of Fairhaven, on public or private land, under the present wind turbine by-laws or zoning by-laws by special permit, building permit or otherwise; and to direct the Fairhaven Planning Board during this one year period to comprehensively review the existing wind turbine by laws, and other zoning by-laws which permit wind turbines within the town of Fairhaven.
Fairhaven’s Annual Town Meeting is held on Saturday, May 5, 2012 at 9:00 a.m. in the Walter Silveira Auditorium at the Elizabeth I. Hastings Middle School.
Peggy Aulisio captured an exchange with the Board of Health in her South Coast Today article as Fairhaven residents cope with the two turbines recently installed.
Springfield’s WWLP Channel 22 News captured the scene at Shelburne’s annual town meeting where a moratorium was unanimously approved along with zoning bylaws limiting turbines to small scale use. Reporters Yoojin Cho, Matt Caron and Joyce Ogirri reported on the issue leading up to a midnight vote.
The Friends of Mt. Massaemet had held an information series over the winter months, bringing the film Windfall as well as speakers on health impacts, property value decline, and environmental concerns.
IWTs–cause climate change; don’t respect setbacks
Wind farms can cause climate change, finds new study – Telegraph
Research overseen by SUNY Albany professor Liming Zhou and just published in the journal Nature indicates
a “significant warming trend” of up to 0.72C (1.37F) per decade, particularly at night-time, over wind farms relative to near-by non-wind-farm regions.
The team studied satellite data showing land surface temperature in west-central Texas.
“The spatial pattern of the warming resembles the geographic distribution of wind turbines and the year-to-year land surface temperature over wind farms shows a persistent upward trend from 2003 to 2011, consistent with the increasing number of operational wind turbines with time,” said Prof Zhou.
Louise Gray, Environmental Correspondent, reported this story for the UK’s The Telegraph.
Damaged Turbine Suspends Wind Energy Production
Around 12:45 Tuesday afternoon, two blades on a turbine were damaged so severely that debris was sent raining down on the field below. No one was injured.
The owners, EDP Renewables, say while the investigation into what damaged the blades is ongoing, at this point it doesn’t appear that strong winds were a factor.
A spokesperson for EDP tells Indiana’s NewsCenter that all 55 of the wind farm’s turbines were immediately shut down following the incident. Some were turned back on Wednesday as part of the investigation, but officials say it’s unclear how long that investigation will take.
Wind Wise Radio presents Robert Bryce
For debunking energy myths, Robert Bryce is an expert and he continues to blow away the pipe dreams of wind promoters in his columns. Listen at 7:00 pm on 4/29/12 (or any time on the web) to an interview with this journalist who documents the realities hidden by inflated claims.
Bryce’s latest book, Power Hungry: The Myths of “Green” Energy, and the Real Fuels of the Future, was published in 2010. In a review of Power Hungry in the Wall Street Journal, Trevor Butterworth called the book “unsentimental, unsparing, and impassioned; and if you’ll excuse the pun, it is precisely the kind of journalism we need to hold truth to power.”
Wind Wise ~ Massachusetts 