President George W. Bush made an executive order in 2001, amended in 2003, stating that alternative energy sources are necessary to reduce dependence on foreign oil.

On Feb. 2, Samuel Bodman, the secretary of energy, said there are 12 reports coming out in 2007 concerning energy supply. Energy is a serious national security concern. Everyone in the Navy and Marines were told on Feb. 2 to turn our computers off when unused; until then, the government did not act like energy conservation was a priority.

On Jan. 25, Mexico said it had fallen 450,000 barrels of oil a day short of their expectations, and will fall an additional 600,000 barrels-per-day short by the end of the year. Ethanol from corn is affecting the price of tortillas in Mexico, and upping the price of beef here. Russia is squeezing Europe over oil. We are fighting a war to get oil. Out west, Canada is slowing propane delivery.

I agree fervently about protecting the last visages of rugged wild mountains found on the East Coast. We failed; people should have listened in the 1970s, when people were begged to conserve energy, as well as wild places. It’s too late to protect Redington Pond Range, the habitat is doomed, but not to windmills – but to climate.

I wish we could reverse people’s impact on the Earth as quickly as the Maine Land Use Regulation Commisison stopped the Redington and Black Nubble Mountain wind projects. Turning down Redington/Black Nubble will stop future investment in alternative energy in Maine, since many studies clearly show there is no, non-emotional, logical reason to turn it down.

When we no longer need wind power, the towers can be taken down. The concrete pads will erode, and act like lime to the vegetation. Given enough rainfall, the area will be lush like the Great Smoky Mountains. Virginia creeper, a climbing vine, will aid forest encroachment. The hottest period will be a long time after the maximum heat input.

The longest day is in June, the hottest days are in August. LURC can’t stop what should have been reined in 50 or 75 years ago. In 1896, Svante Arrhenius correlated increased carbon dioxide with global heating, and in 1906 wrote a book on predicting human industrialization will warm the planet.

Why did it take so long to convince the rest of us?

A rough calculation shows that this one wind farm will stop the rise of carbon dioxide in Maine by 25 percent per year. Isn’t that worth looking at sleek windmills?

Suzanne Sayer, a Ph.D in geophysics, lives in Kittery.