Wind turbines would be a scar on Great Lake plain

Posted 21 January 2016 at 12:00 am

Editor:

Many years ago as one made their way though the barren yet fertile great plains of the Midwest the skies were being dotted with windmills of hope. Goliaths at the time, these water-pumping windmills brought the beginnings of a good life to many families in an otherwise unviable region. One by one homes and farms with sustaining businesses were built bringing hope for a bright new life for many thousands.

Today we are faced with another goliath intruding upward into the sky. This time these much larger beasts are not bringing hope for the future to those that live or work here or serve as an attraction for others, they bring profits for a chosen few.

They bring local and transient workers a temporary rally of jobs at best. Yes, the landowners will profit for a time, each of them a Judas to the land and fellow residents in my opinion.

Their profits will be short lived for them and bring little to nothing for others looking and listening to the mess they helped create. They will affect nature and scenic beauty for thousands of residents and visitors for many miles around.

The majestic beauty of the world has far more value than one thinks of typically. You don’t know what you have until it is gone they say. My personal experience of driving home to the southern sunny shores of Lake Ontario has been my solace for years.

I feel the peace as I ascend down the Escarpment and see the massive flat plain of what was once an ancient lake called Iroquois and her offspring Ontario in the distance. Many who read this know of what I speak, it is a part of you. We have learned to share the view with the huge smoking stack of Somerset and consider the anomaly of it to be like a scar on a loved ones face, it is overlooked.

If the skies become dotted by dozens of flashing blades whirring and dwarfing said scar will we still have this feeling of solace? Can we look our Great Lake plain in the face again or will the scars be too offensive?

If this happens, yes we will get used to seeing the deformity and we will still love our Great Lake plain but we will long for her virgin beauty more than ever and tell the tale of a place that once was. We will tell it to a generation we sold out for a few coins or less. Are the profits of investors that do not even live here more important than our solace?

I urge my fellow brothers and sisters of this great land to do your research on this type of project before you give it your support. Going green is undeniably important and the mistakes we make now could be devastating for generations to come. It need not be a cash cow for a few at the expense of our future generations.

Michael A. Clark
Town of Wilson