Misinformation Meeting
My last blog entry here was on December 10th 2008. My older brother, Mark, died of non-smokers lung cancer on December 16. I haven’t blogged since. Losing a brother in a close family knocked us all very hard. It takes away your energy. It makes you reluctant to engage in unpleasant discussions and arguments. It takes time to get over. But I think I am there. My other two brothers have been back on the blog wagon, and have encouraged me to say things, because they think I have something to say. And so here I am. And I am not going to let the misinformation, half truths, and outright falsehoods spread by Wind Concerns Ontario at a recent meeting in Lion’s Head go unchallenged.
I can’t take all of the misinformation on in one blog entry – readers don’t want 20 page entries. So this will be a series. No doubt it can provide fodder for a long time, as the opponents of wind (who must, therefore, also be defenders of the status quo generation sources) have a long and always growing list of misinformation.
I begin with the picture they paint in one of their handouts about what is going on in the rest of the world with wind energy. They are trying to show that other countries, who are more experienced with wind energy, are backing away, and stopping wind development. Nothing could be further from the truth. Much of my information source is Windpower Monthly, April 2009.
Statement: “The Danish government has cancelled plans for wind development.” Fact: Denmark issued a new tender for their largest offshore wind farm in May of this year. With 5000 on shore wind turbines, providing 20% of their power, spread across a land mass that is a three hour train ride from one side to the other, Denmark needs to go offshore.
Statement: “Spain began withdrawing subsidies in 2002, and in 2006 ended by an emergency decree all subsidies and supports for wind power.” Fact: Spain revised their market mechanism. They installed 1600 new megawatts of capacity in the last 15 months – 50% more than Ontario has installed in all time. And a decree is the equivalent of our order in council – it is the way Spain governs. But the word “decree” sure is scary isn’t it? So of course it is the word they choose to use.
Statement: “In 2004 Australia reduced the level of wind energy it was required to buy, and dramatically slowed wind power development.” Fact: Australia had 380 MW of wind in 2004. Today it has 1306. I guess tripling in 6 years is a dramatic slowdown?
Statement: “Germany reduced the tax breaks to wind power and domestic construction has slowed since 2004.” Fact: Germany had 16,629 MW of wind in 2004. Today, it has 23,903 MW. That’s a 50% gain, for the country that has the world’s largest installed capacity. Some slowdown.
Statement: “The Netherlands decommissioned 74 turbines in 2004.”" Fact: The Netherlands, increase their installed capacity from 1747 MW to 2216 MW in the past 15 months. Yes, the smaller, older turbines are sometimes decommissioned. But does this sound like a country that is abondoning wind because it is so evil?
Statment: “Ireland halted all new wind power connection to their grid in 2003.” Fact: Ireland had 495 MW in 2006. Today they have 1053 MW.
So while Wind Concerns Ontario tries to demonstrate that other countries have figured out that wind is not the way to go, it is simply untrue. Other countries have instead been rapidly increasing their purchases of wind energy. In fact, wind energy installations worldwide have increased from 93,881 MW in Jan 2008, to 120,645 MW in April of 2009. That is a 28% increase, with some of that increase coming during the greatest financial crisis in our lifetime. It seems the shift to wind energy is on around the world.
Wind was the largest source of newly installed generating capacity in Europe in 2008. And it was second to natural gas in the US. It seems the rest of the world has figured out that wind is reliable, emissions free, and cost effective. They are buying new wind turbines at an increasing rate. Perhaps the success of wind worldwide has the inumbent suppliers of electricity scared?
September 3rd, 2009 at 8:31 am
Welcome back, Glen – and very sorry to hear about your brother.
I think my favourite is the German ban on offshore wind farms closer that 40km to shore; strange that environment minister opened the Hooksiel project last year, which has a turbine 500m from shore.
And don’t get me started on use of the Hélimax offshore study, because I already have …
September 3rd, 2009 at 1:59 pm
Welcome back indeed – also very sorry to hear about your brother. Stuff like that puts things in perspective.
Good to have your blog again – I look forward to the rest of the series.
September 3rd, 2009 at 7:04 pm
Welcome back, Glen. We desperately need people like you to fight the flood of lies and misinformation that is being unleashed everywhere.
September 3rd, 2009 at 8:57 pm
Hi Glen,
Very sorry to hear about your brother. I feel like I should have known this – but I didn’t.
I thought the Lion’s Head meeting was much better than the Port Elgin one!
We do need “energy education”. I need it. For example, both major renewables – wind and sun – depend on weather. Ultimately, if we had a technology to store electricity(hydrogen?) than this whole issue of unpredictable production on cloudy, calm or stormy days would disapear.
Your blog as an “education tool” is priceless. Building a “big picture” of the future replacement of the oil economy is incredibly helpful.
Also- more information about North Bruce planning would help us carry a positive message forward.
Thanks again.
bob
September 3rd, 2009 at 9:18 pm
So Glenn
I see you have a lot to lose IF Wind Turbines are stopped from being developed in Ontario. I mean money. Too bad that’s the driving force behind your efforts at attempting to denigrate Wind Concerns Ontario. Unfortunately we have much more to lose than you by having 400 foot unstable and completely useless unsustainable structures near our homes. Our Health, Our Homes, Our Communities.
Keep comparing us to Europe if you feel this is the way to go, but I would suggest that if you think Europe is the answer then why don’t you sell your stake in Ontario and move over there where you will have an unfettered and obviously a much friendlier group of people who will read your biased blogs.
We will keep “informing” people and raising the bar on truth and consequences of Wind Power all without one cent of pay or consideration from the taxpayers purse unlike your Industry.
September 3rd, 2009 at 10:33 pm
I’m very sorry to hear about your brother.
Your facts are your facts. They can only be true if you beleive. I thought you were a man of integrity. I guess I was wrong.
To hell with sick people, and to hell with people that were forced out of their homes because of your turbines. To hell with the fact that your turbines contribute almost nothing and the taxpayers are footing the bill. To hell with the fact that your turbine didn’t save one ounce of co2. Those facts are not important to you and people like you. You just want our money. I can not feel but to feel sorry for you for being you.
This is my last reply on this blog because I’m a bigger man than you will ever dream to be.
September 4th, 2009 at 3:20 pm
Glen – super to be reading you again. Looking forward to more in the series – and whatever else you are thinking about!
September 4th, 2009 at 7:19 pm
Supplemental Comet,
Glen,
You damn well know that the meeting in Lions Head was NOT stages by Wind Concerns Ontario.
The Meeting was staged by “Bruce Peninsula Against Industrial Wind”. So, when you go around the province promoting your turbines, just remember, there are a lot more people up here who are against bringing 200 turbines to this area than the few landowners that signed up with you.
Please take note, you are not representing The Bruce Peninsula.
September 5th, 2009 at 1:39 pm
Glen –
I’m glad you’re back and writing. I see that there is a lot of heated discussion on this topic.
On my recent trip to the Netherlands, I was awed by the beauty of rows and rows of Windmills (particularly in Flevoland). They also had windmills reaching out on to the waters. It was inspirational to know that countries can be so resourceful.
As a side note, all my Dutch friends are very proud of their windmills and the role that environmental friendly energy plays in their lives.
September 5th, 2009 at 2:47 pm
Glen you are right. That particular information given out at that meeting was incorrect and very outdated. That flyer was not created by nor sanctioned by Wind Concerns Ontario. The Lions Head meeting was sponsord by the Bruce Peninsula Against Industrial Wind.
If you would like to use WCO as your conduit for anger, please be fair. Go to our website and you are welcome to critique anything you like.
September 6th, 2009 at 8:35 pm
Not In Anyone’s Back Yard – Quotes in the hand out came directly from ww.aweo.org – facts from studies completed by independent individuals. Where did you get your information from? What study was completed to determine your information? Who was paid to create your information? Note – I did not say your facts!
By the way Glen – my sister passed away from cancer recently as well. Losing a sister, a environmentalist who was concerned about our family farm and the future of our close family knocked us all very hard. You are right – It does take away your energy. It makes you reluctant to engage in unpleasant discussions and arguments. It takes time to get over but unlike you I will NEVER get over it AND I will never stop fighting against money hungry developers like you.
Note to your supporters. Something 400 ft created of concrete, weighing over 56 tons, – that is not a wind MILL – that is an industrial turbine that causes serious health problems and damages our environment. If you had one in your back yard I am sure you would be ‘awed’ and I’m also sure you would not think of them as ‘beautiful’.
I refer to you as a NIT WIT – Not Interested in the Truth about Wind Industrial Turbines. It’s too bad you are so narrow minded that money means more than people’s health and our environment.
September 7th, 2009 at 8:51 am
I am glad to hear that you agree with me that incorrect information was handed out. The flyer in question references your web site on both sides, and has a paragraph describing what you do, and does not mention any other sponsor. That is why a reader of the flyer would think it came from you. I guess the organizers were spreading other people’s misinformation.
Just for the record, I had a successful career in the past in the computer business. About 10 years ago I became increasingly aware of the environmental challenges facing humanity, and after a camping trip to windy Newfoundland, I decided to take my business skills and apply them to the wind business. I believe that wind energy is one of the ways that we can reduce our environmental footprint. This “greedy developer” would have been better off financially to stay in the computer business, as it was where all my experience was, and earning power is related to experience. I had no wind experience. My firm has one person – me. So, no, I do not get paid to publish this. I do it because if society is going to make decisions about where to get power from, then it is important that the information society uses is correct. Sadly, this is not the case with much of the information from your side.
The blog entry tells you the source of the information – April Windpower Monthly magazine, which publishes updated statistics. Even Wind Concerns Ontario agrees that the facts in the flyer are wrong, so I am pretty sure that my research is correct.
September 15th, 2009 at 11:10 am
Wind Concerns Ontario is a coalition of 34 citizen groups across 23 Counties/Districts in Ontario. We are an umbrella organization which enables networking, information sharing and representation at the provincial level.
We are funded by no one. This is a true grass roots movement that sprung up due to the lack of accountability by the wind industry, lack of due diligence by the Ontario government and lack of truth in CanWEA’s campaigns. The Bruce Peninsula group is supported by WCO but not sponsored or governed by WCO. Any flyer information put out should include sources if possible.
September 15th, 2009 at 12:39 pm
Glen,
The people who matter know who you are and what you stand for.
Stay the course.
September 15th, 2009 at 1:33 pm
Slavko.
First of all, I just bet that you are reading this, and since you have already renegged on your self-proclaimed vow not to comment on this site, I would be interested in your response to my comments.
I think that you have bought into some bad information. I sense that you are passionate about your beliefs…in other words, I think that even though what you are saying is false, you in fact beleive it to be true. Follow? No one can fault you for that.
The question is, are you willing to consider other information, or is your mind made up?
Would you engage in a dialogue about renewable energy, power supply in Ontario, CO2 reduction, health concerns, etc? Would you agree to only quote peer-reviewed documents when substantiating your claims? Would you entertain input from industry sources?
Or are you the ultimate, unilateral authority on this matter?
Your willingness to turn your vitrol on wind energy into a personal attack on Glen is, to say the least, revealing of your state of mind. Why not try to keep this discussion to the facts? Or is your case so shaky that personal attacks are all that you have left?
What have you got to say for yourself Slavko? Not much, I bet.