To recap: Win Smith wrote a carefully worded and persuasive "In My View" column arguing against Northfield Ridge wind farming; the editors made yet another impassioned plea for local control over renewable energy projects; Lisa Loomis dusted off Vermont Land Trust conservation easement language regarding renewable energy in the Scrag Mountain Municipal Forest; a new group called the Friends of the Northfield Ridge offered warnings about wildlife habitat destruction and the need for "appropriately sited" solar installations in a pair of paid advertisements; and a front-page article detailed the ongoing efforts by, and concerns about, Citizens Wind's Northfield Ridge concept.
With the only exception being the trio of residents providing a thumbs up in the "Valley Viewpoint" regarding the new Lareau Farm solar installation, one could easily conclude that the residents of The Valley are, in general, not supporters of renewable energy - at least not if it is visible or harms the "character" of our community.
Thank goodness we don't live on the Gulf Coast and have to watch crude wash up on our shores. Thank goodness we don't live in West Virginia and have to hear the explosions as our mountains are blasted to bits to uncover coal. Thank goodness we don't live in Iraq, where invading armies safeguard our oil and Exxon's profits. Thank goodness we don't live in northern Quebec, where our rivers are dammed and our villages and lands are underwater. Thank goodness that's not our problem. Thank goodness we still live in an unspoiled place and that all of those people in those other places sacrificed the character of their communities on our behalf.
But, wait, you say. We're not opposed to renewable energy. It just needs to be appropriately sited. Solar trackers? Love 'em, but on some field not in view of scenic Route 100 (though the junk yards, gas stations, dilapidated trailers, dump trucks and power lines are fine). Wind turbines? Wonderful, as long as they're somewhere in the Northeast Kingdom. We don't want to scare away the tourists and hurt our economic well-being.
Well, I've got news for you. There are a few things that will scare away the tourists and crush our economy far more effectively than turbines and trackers. How about no snow for skiing? How about no maple trees turning bright red in autumn or producing sap in the spring? Because a changing climate is where we're headed if we don't start taking responsibility for our energy use -- in a clean, renewable fashion right here in our own community. It's time to take our blinders off and use some peripheral vision. The issues are bigger than our little Valley and our unspoiled view.
Dan Eckstein lives in Warren.
