Where’s my energy?

It’s half past summer and I’m having a tough time getting this week started. I’m tired of battling the long lines of traffic on our main roads. I’m tired of grocery stores filled to the brim with vacationers who should have a look in a mirror before they head into town to stock up on provisions. I’m tired of smiling sweetly while I explain, “Why yes, indeed, it does seem a bit inconsiderate for us to have put the LCBO on one side of Picton and The Beer Store way over on the other (and then trying to give directions around the traffic to one or the other). What, indeed, were we all thinking when we agreed to that misfortune.” I’m direction-giving weary. “No, the Sandbanks aren’t in Picton. They’re about 10 kilometres from here. I’m sorry you were told the beaches were in Picton. They used to be, but we all got tired of sweeping up beach sand and voted on having the beaches closer to the lake.” I’m just tired. Mentally drained. Every trip from my house has to be carefully planned and thoughtfully executed to get the desired results. Summer, in vacation land, is a lot of work. Bless the folks who make their hay while the summer sun shines in the County.

So, my point is, I’m just tired. I get irritated by a lot of stuff these days. Like industrial strength wind turbines, wind energy and the freaking wind that blew the shingles off my roof. Go ahead, ask me what I think about great, big, honking wind turbines when I’m battling the crowds on our County roads in the heat of August. I hate the idea of wind turbines being planted in an area like Ostrander Point, but I also hate the relationship we have developed with carbon-fired energy production and with nuclear power generation.We have to get with the notion of using less and we have to embrace sustainable energy generation.Wind and solar power is the way for us to go. The problem is, and there is a problem, we haven’t heard from any organization we all trust. We’re a community in tune with every aspect of living well.We’ve got groups of people who love wind energy and those who hate wind energy.There are people who love wind energy, but not in their backyards and who love wind energy but not near the birds.Then there are those who hate wind energy near their turtles or their cottages, or their homes, or their cows, or their sheep or the beaches. The issue has so many more sides than the usual two.

I don’t pretend to be an expert on any issue as regards energy production. I, like a lot of people, have been listening, reading and waiting for unbiased, straightforward information and honesty from all concerned organizations and consultants. Frankly, it’s hard to see this forest for the trees, including those trees which could be sacrificed for the implantation of behemoth towers of power. We, the consumers, mostly agree it’s time to make a serious change in our energy production and our consumption habits. It mostly comes down to a question of where to put the turbines and I’ve got a great idea. Why are they looking at the remote regions of The County when it’s obvious to me the best placement would be in a developed area. Plop one of those monsters in the industrial park, near The Beer Store or, better still, build a new Beer Store in the base of the tower. Paint it to look like a beer can or beer bottle. Plop another one on the west side of town near the LCBO; same deal with the store and paint it to look like a big old bottle of wine or cider.The potential sites for tower-ofpower plopping would only be limited by our imagination. And don’t start whining about the noise—the downtown areas of the County are already beyond noisy around the clock most days of the year.

Imagine, one day in the not too distant future, a tourist might stop you on the street and ask where the LCBO or The Beer Store is. You’d only have to point in one direction or the other.Wawa has its giant goose. Sudbury has The Big Nickel. Kapuskasing has a giant black bear and New Liskeard has a huge Holstein cow. Imagine being remarkable for our commitment to wind energy and to our giant bottles of wobbly-pop.

theresa@wellingtontimes.ca