Parsing the Globe on Cape Wind

[D.O. takes another whack at the corporados at Cape Wind, this time parsing the second page of a piece that appeared recently in the Boston Globe. D.O.'s in brackets......we try to keep him there for his own good]



"Opponents believe that the project's 440-foot-tall wind turbines would mar the landscape, threaten Cape and Islands tourism, interfere with fishing and recreation, kill birds, and industrialize Nantucket Sound.

Massachusetts Environmental Affairs Secretary Ian Bowles addressed the last concern at a press conference yesterday, saying the waterways have always been used for industrial and commercial purposes, from whaling to fishing to recreational sailing. "The idea that this is a pristine wilderness turns a blind eye to the history of the area," Bowles said."

[Apples & oranges: the fishing industry does not impact the environment like a massive energy facility, such comparisons are disingenuous. Nantucket Sound is what passes for "pristine wilderness" in our over-developed coastlines.]

"Cape Wind president Jim Gordon has said the project would not harm tourism and would have limited impact on wildlife."

[Hyperbole: where’s the proof? Would you rather vacation on the open water or a serene beach or near the clutter and navigational threats of an industrial plant? Also, "limited impact" sounds much like "collateral damage". At present no such impact exists.]

"As part of the environmental impact review, Cape Wind offered the state $10 million in measures to mitigate the environmental impact of the project, including $780,000 for the restoration of Bird Island, an important nesting habitat in Buzzards Bay for endangered roseate terns, which opponents said would be threatened by turbine blades."

[Where does the other $9 million go? If the facility was built on land and not so dangerously close to the flyway, such payoffs would not be necessary.]

"Cape Wind projects that up to 260 birds of all species would be killed by the wind farm each year. Bowles countered that the most dire threat that birds face comes from global warming, which Cape Wind would help begin to address."

[More corporate hype: Bowles has no scientific grounds from which to make such an outlandish statement. In addition, since when is the death of 260 birds per year (some likely to be listed) acceptable?]

original news story dated 3/31/07here.

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Afterword:

Where do we get these people?? Bowles is supposed to be the Environmental Affairs Secretary, no less! He talks like a publicity hack. I can't tell the difference between him and Gordon, the full-blown corporado!! Have these guys even considered other sites, say on land that's already developed, for this project?

Those who might like to see windpower in a less sensitive location than the public commons of Nantucket Sound can either attend upcoming federal hearings or submit written testimony. Checkout the info here.