tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13073631.post7061181084039418995..comments2024-01-04T07:21:18.243-05:00Comments on John In Carolina: Wind and Power BlowhardsUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13073631.post-24658106171678727762009-01-26T07:50:00.000-05:002009-01-26T07:50:00.000-05:00John, I am perhaps one of those you describe as us...John, I am perhaps one of those you describe as using "summer" as a verb - I have a place on Nantucket, and <I>try</I> to get there at least a couple of weeks each summer. For the rest of the summer, it's an investment property; in the other three seasons, it's a substantial chore and a significant expense.<BR/><BR/>In my rather limited perspective, it seems that the people most opposed to Cape Wind are "mainlanders"; i.e., the folks who are concerned about their views of the sound, or the impact on other <B>very</B> local infrastructure. For Nantucketers, the impact would largely be negligible. <B>Everything</B> on the island (apart from fog and wind) needs to be imported over the water. That includes gasoline, food, drinking water (sometimes), toilet paper and the like. To get to the island, these goods travel by ferry - the Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority. And guess who essentially controls the Steamship Authority? The Kennedy family largely selects the Authority members, and pushes their appointments through the political process. Travel to the islands is not inexpensive - taking the car to Nantucket is over $400 each season, which is why many people just leave an old car on the island year-round if they have a place to stash it in the off-season and someone to keep the battery charged.<BR/><BR/>But the economic incentive to the the islanders from Cape Wind is diminished somewhat - some years ago, the islands were successful in getting an undersea electrical cable installed, and all electricity is now brought from the Cape to the islands by cable. Previously, it was generated locally on the island using fuel oil. As a frame of reference, understand that gasoline was over $6 a gallon this past summer on Nantucket (remember, it's based on mainland prices <I>plus</I> the cost of bringing it over the Sound. Imagine what the cost of fuel oil would have been - although the "old" generators used bunker fuel (the type used in ships' boilers), the cost of electricity would have probably been 5-6 times what it cost on the mainland this past summer. So the "island locals" don't benefit much from Cape Wind, except for any host benefits or other government-rigged emoluments that might ensue.<BR/><BR/>You should also understand that Nantucket Sound is a very large body of water - putting in windmills (while locally disruptive to views from any direction) would not "plug up" the ability to use the water for recreation or fishing. In fact, the windmills would likely create an in increase in pleasure boat traffic to Nantucket - the island cannot be seen from the mainland (it's over the horizon visually), and the waters are prone to fog. With a series of windmill towers as a guide, even smaller craft without serious navigation systems could actually make the 30-mile trip and find Nantucket over the horizon.<BR/><BR/>What most of this brouhaha boils down to is hubris and politics (like many other things do). The Kennedys want to sound and look like they're environmentalists, but they don't want to actually <B>do</B> anything about it, so they pull their considerable strings to make certain that it doesn't come to pass.<BR/><BR/>Personally, I'd rather see the Gitmo detainees put on a prison ship anchored right off Hyannisport, so that Ted and the clan can see what he has wrought in the Senate. Perhaps with that as an alternative, the calls to close Gitmo will calm down almost overnight, and the Kennedys will let the "bad people" stay in Cuba. It could be a win/win for all of us.drewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04750606810537926186noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13073631.post-37870770050415839002009-01-25T20:07:00.000-05:002009-01-25T20:07:00.000-05:00They should probably put all the wind farms in "fl...They should probably put all the wind farms in "flyover" country. Who cares if the hicks out in Oklahoma have these things messing up their landscape?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13073631.post-43191591991320107362009-01-25T19:55:00.000-05:002009-01-25T19:55:00.000-05:00Uh, Lets see what is more important here. A view o...Uh, Lets see what is more important here. A view of the sound, or our kids and grandkids clean air? Maybe the "greenies" and the "hoi poloi" fabricated "global warming" to push America toward energy independence. This type of attitude simply defines a complete lack of understanding and knowlege of the energy problem. One fact is sure, there will no longer be a "business as usual" approach to energy policy. America's current energy grid can not be sustained.JohnOhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01281649123784147274noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13073631.post-91863694806959781562009-01-25T15:02:00.000-05:002009-01-25T15:02:00.000-05:00The greenies are all in favor of green technology ...The greenies are all in favor of green technology as long as the accoutrements necessary to bring about the green revolution do not impinge on either their surroundings - it is ok, however if the lower orders have the views from their windows obscured because, after all, the hoi poloi are only expected to pay for the cost and be thankful that the "higher orders" have recognized what is best for them and the environment. NIMBY is alive and well with the Kennedys and their friends.<BR/>cksAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com