The Wind Turbine 'debate' is ramping up as the Federal election approaches...I say 'debate' in inverted commas because it has been a one way torrent of mis-information, manipulated data, and outright deceit pouring out of the Clean Energy Council (self-titled Industry Lobby Group), alleged professor Simon Chapman, Turbine companies, and assorted supporters and Turbine hosts.
So it was again this week with the 'launch' of the "Act on Facts" campaign by the world's largest Turbine manufacturer Vestas...(serious?...Vestas have started a campaign about 'the facts'?...what a crock-Ed)...indeed...but it gets better...Vestas senior vice president Morten Albaek wants to encourage the "quiet majority" to get more active in campaigning for Turbines. (The Border Watch Tuesday 18th June 2013-attached below)
And there's former Wattle Range Council CEO Frank Brennan talking about the "silent majority" whom according to him support Turbines, and the extraordinary statement that Turbines have "...been good in regional areas..."...nonsense...they have been hugely divisive, totally un-economic, lowered adjacent land values, sent electricity costs through the roof, and the legislation in South Australia is outright Fascism...
Literally everything is wholly in favor of Turbine developers and citizens have absolutely no way of opposing or stopping Turbines anywhere in the state...(oh, except of course around the Barossa Valley where 'special exemptions' have been made in the interests of 'Tourism and Visual Amenity'-Ed)...indeed, and the rest of the state doesn't count...
I repeat that Visual Amenity is the grounds on which the Environment, Resource and Development Court accepted farmer Richard Paltridge's successful 2011 appeal against the 40 Turbine development proposed by Acciona for the Allendale East area as approved by the Grant District Council (previous posts), and VA has now been effectively legislated out of the equation.
Visual Amenity has now been removed as a Grounds for Appeal, with provisions set at 1km from non-host dwellings, that's one kilometre, to be 'screened by trees and plants'...140m high towers with 45m long blades, only 1km from your house, supposedly blocked out by plants...and hence 'Nothing To See Here'...this is a ludicrous, nonsense, a pseudo-solution that has already been dismissed as pointless and irrational...it simply doesn't work...and in South Australia that has become law...farcical...
And because these Factual Failings of Turbines are legion, and the gross pro-Turbine bias of the entire legislation is irrefutable (previous posts), proponents clutch to unproven, vaguely esoteric arguments around health issues in a desperate attempt to distract from the facts...and hence the focus on attacking the un-tested problems some people experience with living near Turbines...there is no genuine 'science' or appropriate testing either way so proponents can say what they like...
These health issues revolve around the audible and 'sub-audible' noises generated by Turbines and their blades, etc...and proponents ridicule these problems/symptoms, etc, and hence 'Nothing To Hear, See'.
It is hugely concerning when people like Frank Brennan, as CEO of the South East Local Government Association (SELGA) is so subjectively biased...(or worse, ignorantly supportive-Ed)...indeed, on such a critical issue...he is either ignorant to the numerous legislative and economic problems with Turbines, or he is deliberately ignoring all of these realities to support Turbines.
I note that the article (TBW 18/06/13) has no 'identified author', it is anonymous, and does not mention Mr Brennan's role as SELGA CEO, a critical and clearly deliberate omission. this is typical of the deceit and 'anonimity' that defines the pro-Turbine lobby.
I completely reject that assertion by Morton Albaek that;
"The wind industry is being attacked by a media divvy and politically influential adversaries
who often display a brazen disregard for factual information."
This is at best a cynical reversal of the realities that Turbine companies have the absolute support of government and the media and relentlessly lie about virtually every aspect of Turbine development...and at worst potentially delusional...does he genuinely believe this...and you know that I don't accuse others lightly of such things as suffering a Mental Illness...previous posts...but the question remains, is he genuinely delusional or cynically disingenuous?
Please review previous posts re this outrageous pro-Turbine bias, often on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, where proponents get lengthy interviews to reel out their deceits, sometimes anonymously, and opponents like myself get very little actual air-time and usually only a short message read out.
Credit where credit's due though, the ABC Mt Gambier has marginally improved it's reporting of Turbine opponents or critics, and it is true that Turbine proponents like the CEC constantly approach the media when seeking to spread their deceits, but I am still the only Genuinely Independent local candidate in the Federal election, the Opposition to Wind Turbine Fascism (OWTF) candidate, and I still have a struggle to get messages read out.
On Friday 14th June 2013 I attended a Solar Thermal Presentation and Forum at the King's Theatre, organised by Community Action Sustainability, with invited guest speaker Daniel Spencer, a member of the Australian Youth Climate Coalition.
I am always pleased to leave a meeting/forum/whatevs, having contributed intelligently and politely, and knowing more than when I went in, and so was the case with this forum...
Mr Spencer was on the Local ABC Radio promoting his presentation on 12/06/13, where he made a comment that people opposing Wind Turbines on issues of 'health' were "scaremongers", so naturally I felt compelled to attend and challenge him on this point and inevitably several others.
I was pleasantly impressed with Mr Spencer whom seems to be a genuinely concerned and very active advocate for the cause of Solar Thermal Power Generation. His presentation was very professional, well researched, and in the ensuing debate he demonstrated a broad knowledge of issues of Power Generation.
He was involved in organising (and participated in) the Pt Augusta - Adelaide march in support of a Solar Thermal Unit to replace the Playford Power Station at Pt Augusta.
Early on in the discussion I politely identified myself (with a deliberately broad smile) as an opponent to Wind Turbines, which was met with several groans from the audience and a wry smile from Mr Spencer, but it was all good...(oh here we go-Ed)...oi, back in ya' box...it all went really well, particularly given that there were those in attendance who simply won't listen to reason...these people exist on both sides of the argument...any argument...
(And very few arguments have only two sides-Ed)...very good point, and that is why I make the differentiation between people like the CEC whom are driven by self interest and profit, and people who genuinely embrace an ideology but are not prepared, or unable, to question their beliefs...there is a chasm of difference.
I chose to stay away from most of my Turbine stuff other than when specifically referred to, eg, my concerns that given the axing of Research Funding for Geothermal and the move away from Solar Thermal as well, the $10billion Clean Energy Finance Corporation would be channelling the vast majority of that $10b into Turbine subsidies...and that concern was shared by some of those present...
This and many other issues were covered in what was a convivial meeting, and there was a sharing of knowledge across the audience as much as with Mr Spencer. I was very pleased with the over-all tone of the event, even if some clearly remained un-convinced about my 'Anti-Turbine' argument and/or position.
Mr Spencer then spent nearly an hour chatting with myself and several others after the official event, and I was impressed with how respectful he was of my opinion and argument re Turbines, particularly the issues of 'Legislation'. We are very much on the same page on the importance of Geo-Thermal (or 'HotRock') generation as the one true way to provide 'Clean Base Load Supply', the fundamental and critical failure of Wind Turbines, Wave Energy, and to a lesser extent Solar Thermal...weather reliant technologies are vulnerable to un-favourable conditions and require Base Load Back-up...
On a personal note, I was genuinely pleased to be able to attend two such critical meetings in one day (previous post re Disability Judicial Access) and redefine how pragmatic I can be for the good of the debate...I consider it a win/win...a win for me personally, and a win for informed debate...it is often the case that my speaking out is the catalyst for others to follow...
If I had leapt angrily into either debate it would have turned people away from my contribution and stifled said debate...(gooooooo hippy-Ed)...yay for me...
Tomorrow: More Cuts to Regional Services - The Ship is Going Down
I am Nick Fletcher and I'm not quite sure what day it is, but I'm fairly sure I'm still a large, angry, hippy...and this is definitely my blog...cheers...
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