A recently leaked study by the German military (www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,715138,00.html) outlined the consequences of peak oil. Peak oil is the theory and study of the time when global oil production reaches its maximum rate and then declines terminally, despite growing demand. Peak oil is a fact of nature that either will shortly occur or is presently occurring; oil is a finite resource and at some point remaining reserves will decline and not be able to keep up with demand. There were seven key findings of this report: Oil will determine power, oil exporters will gain power, global oil market will retract from free-trade, global markets will fail, government's may be forced to ration vital oil-dependent goods, economic crashes will spread especially to oil-dependent nations and that democracy itself may be challenged.
DIRE PICTURE
This dire picture has been repeated in many studies that show we are now dependent upon a shrinking supply of oil in an era of increased worldwide consumption. If we do not act now to pay more than lip-service to freeing our country's dependence upon an oil-based economy, the consequences will be very real within 15 to 30 years. Our actions today will impact the type of world our children inherit. These consequences are not generations ahead, they are consequences that our children and our grandchildren will certainly face.
The uproar that a feasibility study for the development of wind energy resources on the Northfield Ridge has created is out of proportion to the actions taken and apparently has boiled down to a premature political battle complete with scare tactics, false construction notices and now the president of the largest Valley business taking a stand against a project that is merely in the feasibility stages. Win Smith has cast unfounded doubts about Citizens Wind with implications that their intents are nefarious. Win goes on to wax about the view, causally mentioning that his own business is responsible for an industrialization of our mountains in creating a playground for the rich. Adam Greshin, a Sugarbush owner and our state rep, was one of the minority of legislators to vote with Vermont Yankee in opposing H.436 Decommissioning Bill. If Win and Sugarbush are truly interested in reducing our dependence upon foreign oil, I would love to know what their solutions are. If their vision is of nuclear reactors powering the lifts, that is as important a discussion as wind turbines on the ridgeline.
ALL HAVE SIDE EFFECTS
Every form of energy production has its side effects. You drill for oil and you have spills; you burn oil, you pollute the atmosphere; you import oil, you create political issues that spawn conflict; you mine coal, you scar the landscape or endanger miners, you create enormous pollution issues and here in the Northeast you become victims of acid rain. You turbocharge an antique nuclear generator and you have radioactive substances in the water, safety and security issues. If you installed wind turbines, you need to construct and maintain them where the wind is located. The power available from the wind is proportional to the cube of its velocity so siting of wind turbines can make the difference between a financially viable energy source and one that does not produce. Solar photovoltaics also are visible and have siting issues.
Will wind turbines and solar collectors change the character of our Valley? Perhaps, but the real question is whether that change is for the common good or not. Energy independence is in the common good. If The Valley could derive even a majority of its power from the wind, hydro and the sun, we will have decades of energy security, locally produced energy and economic stability. As I rode through the Midwest, I was wowed by the vast arrays of wind turbines. I was a pioneer of the wind energy industry, founding North Wind Power Company in Warren in the 1970s with Dave Sellers. Our dream was to see wind energy providing clean, renewable electricity for our nation and particularly for our Valley.
NEEDS REVIEW
I agree wholeheartedly with Win, that any project of this magnitude should have thorough review, public support and environmentally sound siting practices. Citizens Wind has asked for our input, and we should not kill this kernel of an idea before its feasibility is even determined. Passing around pictures of wind turbines under construction to scare folks, casting false questions about the people investigating this project or stoking the flames of NIMBYism is not the way to have intelligent discussion or debate on this issue that is vital to our future. Let's talk about how to make our Valley energy independent to prepare for the inevitable era of scarce and expensive oil. The answer is truly blowing in the wind!
Mayer lives in Warren. He is CEO of Small Dog Electronics in Waitsfield.
