wind power

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.

I just wanted to make a quick response to the JLF’s recent “report” on the danger of offshore wind energy in North Carolina. As I said in my initial response, this dishonesty and misinformation contained in their piece is enough to leave anyone speechless. While wind energy is the fastest growing form of renewable energy, this exact type of misinformation has prevented the type of growth that this industry has the potential for (and deserves).

More after the fold.....

This post is intended to continue to bring to light the problems with current energy production and consumption, and show what one little corner of the world here in western North Carolina is doing to pitch in on a GLOBAL problem of fossil fuel production and consumption.

In Appalachia, we begin by trading nightmarish mountaintop removal coal-mining, for an afternoon breeze...
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(Cross-posted at the Appalachian Voices blog)

As America awakes to the effects that our energy production and consumption is having on the globe, people are shocked to find out that we do things like blow up 100s of 1000s of acres in our own mountains for a just little bit of coal. One of the most agreed upon tenets among those of us working for sustainable energy policy is that "there is no silver bullet" as far as alternative energy. Another words, it isn't feasible to run everything in the United States off just solar, just wind, or just hydro power. I adhere to this belief. America will need to localize our energy solutions in order to create the sustainable, clean, stable, domestic energy policy that everyone wants and needs.