One option remains

The health risk posed by industrial wind turbines is not a legal issue—it is a political one.This is what Ontarians have learned from an environmental review tribunal (ERT) decision rendered this week. Ontarians now know for certain they can’t rely on the mechanisms of the Green Energy Act to protect them or their families—if they want to change the reckless, destructive and ultimately futile pursuit of intermittent electricity generation, they must change the provincial government in October.

A group of local residents near Chatham was worried about the effects massive electricity generating devices might have on their health and the health of their families. They were hoping to reverse the province’s approval of Suncor Energy’s Kent Breeze wind energy project on the shores of Lake St. Clair near the village of Thamesville.

Under the provisions of the Green Energy Act, the residents’ only recourse was to launch an appeal to the ERT. But in a move that fully reveals the cynical and predetermined outcome of the process, the province allowed the developer to construct and erect the turbines while the tribunal was still listening to the appeal.

No one, particularly not the developer, believed the province would make Suncor take turbines down, once they were up. Just as few believe the province will order Trans Alta’s turbines dismantled on Wolfe Island if the landscape becomes littered knee deep with bird carcasses.

Studies will be completed. Appeals will be heard. But the march toward industrial wind factories on every rural skyline in the province will continue unabated— as long as the McGuinty government retains power.

The decision by the Tribunal should, however, give the provincial government pause.

While they would not go as far as to say the project would “seriously harm humans living nearby” the panel acknowledged the evidence showing “some risks and uncertainties”with wind turbines.They were convinced, too, that more research should be done to answer the concerns and uncertainties.

It is at this point that provincial officials and proponents of their energy policies typically weigh in to point out that coal-fired electricity generation makes people sick too. This might be a worthy argument, save for the fact that intermittent electricity generating sources, such as wind and solar, cannot replace the predictable and steady supply of power supplied by coal, or nuclear, gas or hydro for that matter. Electricity can’t be stored; it must be produced at the split second it is needed. This means the grid operator has a tricky job of balancing consumers’ needs with the available generating capacity at its disposal—a job made infinitely more difficult with a power supply it can’t control—one that is as unpredictable as the wind.

Worse, government officials know this to be true—they know that wind and solar can’t reduce our reliance on coal. It has not done so anywhere in the world. Yet they cynically repeat the lie. Over and over again. They say it enough times they hope you and I will believe it.

We want to believe.We want a simple, and inexpensive way to relieve our anxiety about the impact modern society is having on the planet and our fellow inhabitants. It is an understand able ambition—but we also know it is too good, and too easy, to be true.

Blind faith in our government makes us vulnerable.

Worse, it leads us away from the real work that needs to be done in energy research and technology development.The solutions to ease our dependence on fossil fuels will not come overnight and they will most certainly not come from intermittent or unmanageable sources. The solutions will be found in small increments compiled over decades.

Ours is an innovative species.We will muddle our way through this just as we found our way past whale oil and firewood.

In the meantime the tentacles of the wind developer will grip the County and other communities more tightly in coming weeks—hoping to win approval for their projects before the provincial election.

In Prince Edward County, Gilead Power Corporation intends to be on the ground at Ostrander Point with approvals in hand by Labour Day weekend.

As we have learned this week the Green Energy Act wasn’t created to protect citizens but rather to streamline the process for developers. It is, therefore, up to citizens resist the developers using the processes available, such as they are, over the next weeks and months and in October throw out the McGuinty government and its flawed and harmful energy policy.

rick@wellingtontimes.ca