Daren Bakst

I'm sorry, but this excerpt from an interview with a JLF "Report" writer is flat out hilarious.

Bakst: Well, a wind farm is a cute way of describing what is a massive line of wind turbines, and wind turbines are not cute little windmills. They’re massive industrial wind turbines, which are 475 feet potentially, maybe even higher, which is about the height of a 47-story skyscraper.

Martinez: Forty-seven stories?

Bakst: Yes, I think it would be taller than any building in Raleigh, actually. So that’s massive.

Martinez: That’s huge. In fact, they are somewhat controversial. We’re talking about one possibly in Carteret County, we’ve heard about suggestions for wind farms in the western part of the state. Is it simply the size that makes them controversial?

Bakst: Well, for local communities it’s certainly the size of it. For electricity consumers and the public, it shouldn’t just be the size. It’s the fact that wind power is really a bad form of electricity.

Out of my commitment to being a kinder, gentler James, I mostly try to ignore the tiresome talking points emanating from Art Pope's Puppetshow. But every now and then the Puppets write something so sublimely ignorant that it's hard to let it pass. That's what happened today, with the latest "report" produced by Daren Bakst.

Recent high energy prices are taking their toll on the economy, Bakst said. “A Congressional Budget Office study that examined the impact of high gasoline prices on the economy found Gross Domestic Product in 2006 is probably lower by about one percent, or $132 billion, than it would have been if energy prices had not risen,” he said. “In addition, the average household’s annual spending on energy goods and services rose by about $1,700 between 2003 and 2006, and their saving rate dropped sharply.”

The recently published report ("primer") by the John Locke Foundation on wind energy, among other criticisms, posits that wind turbines are "exceedingly deadly" to bird (and bat) wildlife. This puts them, perhaps surprisingly, in opposition to the National Audubon Society, which supports further development of wind energy as an alternative to fossil fuel-based energy sources.

Can this be right? Can a organization that claims to be committed to "individual rights, free enterprise, property ownership, [and] limited government" really be calling for a "'Coast Law' to prohibit construction of industrial wind turbines on the [North Carolina] coast" (emphasis added)?

And what of the Audubon Society? Has an organization dedicated to bird habitat and welfare suddenly elected to neglect its core mission, or worse yet, does it welcome the deployment of "exceedingly deadly" bird-killing machines?

Prompted by recent coverage (1, 2) and criticisms of the JLF's report here on BlueNC, I—not even yet a resident of the state, and ignorant of the existence of the JLF until I joined this community— elected to look into the matter for myself.

Leave it to Art Pope's minions to argue against one of the very few energy sources that could immediately contribute to building a sustainable energy portfolio. And, as usual, their arguments are full of hot air.

RALEIGH – North Carolina needs a “Coast Law” to protect residents from wind turbines that ruin local landscapes, harm wildlife, and pose potential health risks, all while providing an unreliable source of electricity. That’s the key conclusion of a new John Locke Foundation Spotlight report.

Oh. My. God. Now we have Puppets all a'twitter about local landscapes, wildlife and health. Will wonders never stop ceasing?

It must be tough being a poor oppressed Puppet working for Art Pope. Not only do you have to make "reports" day-in and day-out, you also have to make up mortal adversaries. That's exactly what's happened in the latest barrage of pseudo-news from Daren Bakst of the John Locke Foundation.

“For many environmental advocates, Earth Day is a special occasion to scare more people into believing air quality is getting worse,” said JLF legal and regulatory policy analyst Daren Bakst, the report’s author. “Unfortunately, the scare tactics have worked. Too many people think that the air in North Carolina is getting dirtier and harder to breathe. The fact is North Carolina’s air is cleaner than ever and only getting better.”