To the Editor,
To adequately refute all of the statements made by Eleanor Tillinghast in her most recent article [Advocate, Dec. 9] would take far more time and space than I have, but I will mention as many as I can.
Her article begins by stating the tip height of various wind turbines above sea level. How this relates to environmental impacts I do not know, since the tallest point in Massachusetts is a TV tower. There are only two wind projects anywhere close to completion in the Berkshires, and both have gone or are going through extensive review, as would any project of this magnitude.
The Hoosac Range in Florida was not even mentioned by the Berkshire Natural Resource Council in the BRPC regional plan as deserving special protection. Yet somehow the destruction of Berkshire County is eminent? The general sensation one receives in Tillinghast's article is that various environmental, governmental and local organizations are arrayed in a vast conspiracy to desecrate and ruin "our ridgelines, quality of life and tourism economy." The fact of the matter remains that reliable and scientific studies show wind turbines may actually improve tourism and home values.
Tillinghast then misrepresents the state’s Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard by not recognizing that the RPS can be satisfied by projects outside of Massachusetts, which meet certain requirements. She also uses figures from the United Kingdom and Germany, which are simply not applicable to today’s wind turbines.
Regarding conservation, it is obvious that energy conservation must be a truly important part of our future, as must sustainable agriculture and population. However, energy conservation cannot be considered a source of energy. Wind energy is the only viable source of electricity that does not result in large-scale pollution or radioactivity, and as Berkshire Wind’s recent long-term contract illustrates, the price of wind can be significantly lower than that of traditional sources. Tillinghast seems quite certain about the subsidies Hoosac Wind might receive, but totally neglects the 200 billion dollars in various direct and indirect subsides provided to traditional sources... every year.
At one point Tillinghast claims that Florida “rejected a wind power plant proposal 20 years ago.†In fact, the article referenced on her Web site makes no such statement.
Moving on to public opinion, the handful of news articles sited by Tillinghast does not change the fact that the majority of citizens in European countries continue to support the changeover to renewable energy, and some polls indicate increased approval among people who live near a turbine, or have visited one. According to the BBC, “Initial concerns over the impact of turbines on the landscape, noise and construction traffic, had largely vanished after development was completed.â€
In the final footnote provided on Tillinghast’s Web site, she seems to state that since some of our pollution comes from China or the Midwest, it is not worthwhile to reduce pollution locally. Global warming and pollution are a global problem, and not recognizing this, in my opinion, is more likely to “ruin our environment†than anything else.
There is not a “rush to wind power.†This is the steady progression of a technology, as well as a society. A society that recognizes the importance of a stable, renewable, clean source of power, when done correctly as governmental agencies have certified time and again.
Simon Zelazo
Florida
The writer is a member of Citizens Using Renewable Energy
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North Adams Officials to Revote School Committee Members
Staff reports
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — City and school officials will meet a second time to vote in two new members of the School Committee.
The joint convention of the City Council and School Committee will be held on Tuesday at 6 p.m. in the City Hall conference room and via Zoom.
Damon Grimes and Paul Moriarty were jointly elected on Monday to fill two seats vacated by resignation. They were two of four candidates standing for election.
Mayor Jennifer Macksey, chair of the School Committee, said she had received in inquiry about the votes, which were done by secret ballot.
"I have been advised that voting by ballot was not permissible in this circumstance," she said, after consulting the School Committee's attorney Adam Dupere and city solicitor KP Law.
To ensure the validity of the votes and conduct of the election, the joint convention will reconvene and formally confirm the selection of Grimes and Moriarty.
"I apologize for the inconvenience of having to reconvene," the mayor said in a statement. "My intention in using a ballot was to address concerns raised following our previous convention, when some members expressed discomfort with publicly voting for or against individual candidates.
Senior Patrick Holland Saturday finished in fourth place to lead the Mount Greylock boys cross country team to a Western Massachusetts Class B Championship at Stanley Park. click for more
In a news release posted on its website tuesday morning, the Northwestern DA said, "prosecutors determined that no criminal conduct occurred," citing Massachusetts General Law Chapter 269, section 17. click for more
Everett Bayliss scored a pair of goals and Lukas Burrow had two assists in Sunday's Mount Greylock win in the Western Massachusetts Class C Championship Game. click for more
Gabe Thomas carded an even par round of 71 at Stockbridge Golf Club Monday to finish two shots clear of the field and claim the first county individual championship for the McCann Tech golf team. click for more
The Cooperative Hoosac Valley football program will resume football related activities on Monday, Sept. 28, after being on “pause” for the past nine days. click for more
Hoosac Valley High School has postponed this weekend’s football games following a reported alleged hazing incident involving a large number of football players, the athletic director announced Friday afternoon. click for more
