The Falmouth Wind Turbine Fiasco hit National News ealier this week http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/02/26/cape-cod-community-considers-taking-down-wind-turbines-after-illness-noise/#ixzz2M1SF6NC4 I’m shocked that it took nearly a month to do so.
When Falmouth’s Board of Selectmen made their decree, it’ was certain to have sudden, and enormous rippling ramifications on the wind industry http://mediamatters.org/blog/2013/02/26/fox-news-wind-power-hypochondria/192808, as well as on it’s cultivating government entities.
Groups, or persons out there labeled “Anti – Wind” (which is not at all the case in most circumstances ~ but for this ~ we’ll just accept this piece of journalistic laziness) rejoiced at the heralded decision. While “Pro-Wind” advocacy groups and supporters have developed a new malady – “Wind Disturbing Syndrome.”
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It’s become rather entertaining, as I watch the skirmish-lines form from inside Falmouth, looking out. I've watched, listened and read all the big name news media, as well as layman critiques in the comment blogs. The blog, by the way, sure can be a treat! All have threats of conviction, but it’s laughable how a story about one Cape Cod town’s decision to protect it’s citizens can be catapulted and collaged into topics running the gambit of nuclear, solar and coal power pollution, hypochondria and hippies, wind turbine syndrome being an ethnic gene, NIMBYism and OBAMAcare, the Kennedy family and the Cape Wind project, and even the debate over “what my study says is better than what your study says.” And it’s hard not to chuckle at the alleged experts in an Iowa cornfield or the panhandle of TX, or a 25 year wind turbine engineer, when they think their story has any bearing on what has, is or will happen in Falmouth Massachusetts.
It's great to share your experiences of TX and Iowa, or maybe your visit to Denmark, and God knows from wherever else those blogger live. Keep telling those stories.. you outsiders.. you wind energy “carpet baggers,” you greedy Bernie Matoff "snake-oil salesmen." But never think, for one minute, a story or experience from somewhere over the rainbow will change Falmouth’s belief that caring for your next door neighbor is the right thing to do.
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The Selectmen's support to remove the town turbines IS NOT the litmus test everyone seemingly wants it to be.
What is important however, is story Falmouth is telling that we, in Falmouth, believe it right to be our neighbor’s guardian. We believe it's important to keep fundemental values LOCAL by “Doing the Right Thing,” and we believe that no community responsibility is more important than protecting the safety of our citizen neighbors. In other words ~ preach, and especially practice, the “Golden Rule.”
Isn’t Falmouth nice!
