There's a reason Angus King is a former governor of Maine and Jonathan Carter, former Green Independent Party candidate, is not.
King is more often in the mainstream of political thinking in Maine while Carter has never been able to accept that a majority of Mainers believe in mixed use of the state's forest resources, including wind power.
The two former candidates for Maine's highest elected office traded barbs and accusations last week over King's investment in a 128-megawatt wind power project in Somerset County.
King and a group of investors hope to plant 48 wind turbines on a Highland Plantation site which is 3.5 miles from Carter's home.
Carter says the project would require blasting 1.6 million cubic yards of rock and dirt, ultimately decimating alpine terrain and generating visual and noise pollution. What's more, he said, the project would fail to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Carter is partially correct. Judging by the Kibby Project in the Chain of Ponds area, these projects do involve considerable road-building in difficult terrain.
On the other hand, Maine is already crisscrossed by thousands of miles of logging roads.
The roads can lead to erosion and other problems, but they also provide a living for thousands of Mainers who work in the forest and access for hundreds of thousands of fishermen, hunters and snowmobilers.
It's an arrangement that an overwhelming number of Mainers are comfortable with and favor.
Maine has clearly established where wind projects can and cannot be built in an expedited fashion, and the projects are subject to a host of regulatory reviews and public hearings.
That wind power projects do not reduce greenhouse gases is nonsensical. When the turbines are spinning, the power is going into the grid where it offsets other sources of electricity, including natural gas and coal.
Carter called King a "mountain-slayer, " and King offered to buy Carter a bus ticket to West Virginia where fossil fuel extraction decimates the land, pours poisons into streams and regularly kills miners.
And that's all before it is burned to produce power, pouring tons of lethal chemicals and pollutants into the air, many of which end up fouling our air and water in Maine.
Realistically, all forms of electric-power generation result in trade-offs. We're not about to go without electricity to run our homes and factories.
So, we need to select sources of generation that have the least impact on our environment. Wind and solar power are simply far more benign than burning fossil fuels.
But, ultimately, the most important fact about wind power in Maine is that Mainers believe in it.
A recent statewide telephone survey of 500 registered voters found that 88 percent support wind power development here.
Even in the rural counties where projects are being sited, 83 percent favored wind power.
Meanwhile, nearly three out of four Mainers said they would support a wind power project near where they live or visit.
They realize that wind power is not only better for the environment, but that it has the potential to support jobs for Mainers and contribute millions in tax revenue.
Those are hard arguments to beat.
editorialboard@sunjournal.com
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Greed vs Life
The ecosystem in the Mexican gulf is being ruined do to greed driven reckless risk taking allowed to take place. Now oil has seeped into the ocean floor and disrupted the food chain. We knew better. The food chains in the ecosystems of Maine mountain wilderness are being ruined do to greed driven recklessness; and this is not a matter of irresponsible risk-taking. It is a certainty which has been already observed in the effects on the ecosystem resulting from the TransCanada project. This political corruption needs a full investigation and the guilty should do real time.
OPINIONS ON WIND-POWER, GOVERNMENT FOR THE GOVERNMENT - AN EXAMPLE:
The outmoded habitat slaughtering fire threat turbines being forced upon us by Siemens of Germany, have no place amid the pine/fir stands anywhere in this state. Better options are developing. Of course, they may not net that sweet chunk of cash Baldacci and his greed based family appointees his cheat and smooch for. Build a better ‘smart-grid’ and put our efforts and energy dollars into developing residential and business projects that immediately lower electricity bills and supply their excess to Maine’s own smart-grid. We could cut back on other sources, save our precious mountain habitats and we now have technology to do that.
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wind power is not the ONLY source for renewable resources for energy (to be fed into the grid)... but it is a start.
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NIMBY'S
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This article is kind of amusing to me, it continues to discredit a man that is asking for ecological accountability while justifying a man that continues to not provide a cost/benefit analysis that is accountable to the people of Maine in asking them to make sacrifices they have yet to see the repercussions of. I am hoping that more people of Maine are capable of taking a closer look at economics and asking the project managers to prove how these projects are going to create jobs for the people of Maine and in what numbers, prove that this is an investment that is going to pay them back after their electricity rates go through the roof and push then into seeking an independent solution to escape the elevated electricity rate after the 1800 units are in place and the contract is enacted. 4 million x 1800 + a 1.4 billion transmission line upgrade. Start doing the math people, who do you think is and is going to continue to pay for that? Jonathan is trying to protect the natural environment from corporate activity that refuses to be transparent. Exercise your civil rights and asks questions, you are under attack while you sleep as trust those watching over you. The Human Flaw is what it is. Talk to those in opposition of these projects to gain an objective decision making capability unless you feel that you are incapable of gathering information from all perspectives to be able to make an objective and educated choice of how you feel about the matter. We do not have the demand here in Maine, review the Comprehensive Plan of the Energy Director here in Maine, we already over produce renewable energy projected far out beyond 2016. Maine is capable and positioned to apply renewable energy correctly and responsibly.
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I don't believe a thing Angus King or anyone else from these wind companies says. Try sitting in a meeting in one of these small, unprotected towns and asking them a direct question and see if you can get an honest answer.
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I don't believe that most Mainer's favor wind power. The only reason they are being put up are the huge incentives that are paid the investors. It's just a feel good (for the bureaucrats) issue. They produce very little power and spoil the landscape.
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A pollster calls and asks me; "Are you against wind power as an energy source?" Because I think that reasonably sized turbines on people's property are a good idea (one that I saw on Lake Superior is 10 feet tall and powered a house and a science lab) I say no. If a pollster calls and asks; "Are you in favor of industrial scale mountaintop wind 'farms' as an energy source?" I say no. Polls don't work and are basically dishonest except if the pollster is completely unbiased.
I think it is safe to say that Jonathan Carter is not against the use of wind as an energy source and never has been, nor am I. Both of us are against destroying Maine's environment with behemoths that don't work.
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Here is the proof someone asked for about who commissioned the "88% of Mainer'"s poll. It is in an article by Tux Turkle of June 29th. The following is from the article;
"The survey was done by Portland-based Pan Atlantic SMS Group for the Maine Renewable Energy Association, a trade group whose members include wind power developers and construction companies."
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Would you like to respond? Login or create a new account. You'll need to verify your account before you can respond.Extremely weak ed.
Wow. I can't believe the over-simplistic analysis of this editorial. For example to say that Angus King was governor and Jonathan Carter was not because King was more in the mainstream is hogwash. King had lots more money than Carter,. It just so happens that Carters ideas about clear cutting and pollution became the law of the land. When the turbines are not spinning is what the problem is about CO2. Which is enough of the time that they are generating anywhere from 10-30% capacity. How many turbines would we need in Maine to be effective? I hate to even think about it. Using the poll as proof that Mainer's want industrial wind turbines is absolutely ridiculous. i am sure that people who write editorials are smart enough to know that a poll commissioned by the wind industry, as this one was, is going to be slanted. So what is the purpose of this editorial?
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The Editorial board makes it sound so simple. Little real scientific information is out there. What is makes it almost clear that wind power in the western mountains of Maine will have very little positive impact on energy generation. But wind power development in western Maine will have a huge impact on the environment, wildlife, human populations, and tourism. If Wind Power in the Western Mountains were economically feasible, then why does it require huge Federal and state Government subsidies and TIF's.
Most of all I object to the anarchy out there. Any and every mountain can become the target of this development with little regulation. Who decides which ones - the promoters. Towns are ill equiped to challenge these projects. Where is the planning?
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I can't believe that the Sun Journal didn't let their readers know that the poll they are passing judgment on was paid for by the wind industry. This is just plain and simple irresponsible journalism. I am afraid that the SJ has also bought into what the wind industry really likes when it comes to wind issues in Maine - diverting attention away from the real facts. They are doing this by dredging up an old election where Jonathan Carter and Angus King were opposing candidates and making this ancient debate the headline regarding the wind power issue in Maine. Even worse, you, the media, are falling for this tactic. Any poll with the results this one had is suspect, at any rate. If 88% of Maine voters favor wind power on their mountaintops, why was it necessary to do a poll? It should be a no brainer. The wind industry has a lot to hide, and they are trying to pull the wool over the eyes of Maine residents by telling their "half truths". SJ please don't fall for them. The proposed Highland project is a 250 million dollar (60% paid for by taxpayers - not the developer) project that will produce only 4 full time jobs when completed. To meet the our current governor’s goal of 2700 megawatts of WP, 350 miles of Maine’s mountaintops will have to be destroyed. This may result in the obliteration of a large portion of Maine’s mountain ecosystem along with a large portion of its tourism business. The production tax credit subsidy only last for ten years. I strongly suspect that Mr. King will no longer be around then, and we may have to buy him a bus ticket back to Maine to look at the environmental and physical destruction our former governor will have created. On the other hand, I do believe that Mr. Carter will still be here fighting hard to protect Maine’s resources. You have to give him that no matter what your political views are. I am not a Green Party member, but, as a life long Mainer, I’ll take Mr. Carter over Mr. King any day of the week.
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Not so convinced...... I saw the Wind Turbines up close and personal while on my vacation. As impressive as they may be I am not truely convinced that is what is "best for Maine and the area in question." I question whether or not we can even access this area for snowmobiling, hunting and fishing especially if someone gets in and decides to destroy property. I can see this entire area being shut off for all who enjoy the outdoors. As far as the power these turbines produce are we really to benefit and see a reduction in our monthly power bill ? I think not... I am confident this power will be shipped out of state and or country. Also wanted to mention the day we were up checking these turbines out was a very windy day. I noticed that some of them were not even moving ??? whats up with that ??
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I have seen figures showing that CO2 is not offset, primarily because of the windpower's skittering, the backup power plants are constantly brought up and down so that the supply of electricity is matched precisely to the demand on the grid. This up and down movement is highly inefficient, hence the ouput of CO2 that cancels out any emissions that might otherwise be avoided.
NRCM is very pro-wind and they have been part of receiving $500,000 in mitigation payments from TransCanada to look the other way on that project. Nevertheless, if we use their own figures about wind turbines and CO2, what it shows is that all of the global warming offsetting from all of Maine's planned 360 miles of 400' turbines is equal to what a mere 1% of the Maine woods do naturally. In other words, once put into perspective, the major blight and harrassment of Mainers is great impact for an almost imperceptible gain. Please take a look at the following Powerpoint and share it with your friends if you like:
http://www.windtaskforce.org/profiles/blogs/maines-wind-goals-co2-and-the
You simply need to copy this into your browser and then download the short Powerpoint.Thanks.
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"... the project would fail to reduce greenhouse gas emissions." Mr. Carter is the Green Party spokesman? I wonder how many Greenies would agree with him?
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Who in the world thinks that Agnes King is more credible than John Carter? Just because he may be able to fool the masses into voting for him as a politician, doesn't make him more credible or more moral or more knowledgable.
And who believes that a poll by the wind industry (please quote your sources) is more credible than one by the Bangor Daily News?
That is just crazy talk.
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The Sun Journal might have shown you this photo:
http://www.windtaskforce.org/photo/actual-photo-of-maine-wind?context=la...
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The Bangor Daily News poll found that Mainers opposed wind by a factor of about two to one, when the poll question was "Would you want a wind turbine located in your town"? See the BDN poll results at the following link:
http://www.windtaskforce.org/profiles/blogs/bangor-daily-news-2009-poll
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The Bangor Daily News poll found that Mainers opposed wind by a factor of about two to one, when the poll question was "Would you want a wind turbine located in your town"? See the BDN poll results at the following link:
http://www.windtaskforce.org/profiles/blogs/bangor-daily-news-2009-poll
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You're saying that because the "wind industry" paid for the poll (cite your source please) that the poll is inaccurate? Cynical aren't you.
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I'm not sure why the Sun Journal would refer to the poll and its results without cautioning its readers that it was paid for by the wind industry.
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