Some puzzled by Alaskans' opposition to wind farm (Mass. Cape Wind)

[jpak]

http://www.knoxstudio.com/shns/story.cfm?pk=CAPECOD-05-03-06&cat=WW

WASHINGTON - First it was Alaska Congressman Don Young who was blocking a giant wind farm off the coast of Massachusetts. Now it's an amendment by Alaska's senior senator, Ted Stevens, that is standing in the way of the nation's first offshore wind project.

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"You have to ask, 'What's in it for Alaska?' " said Mark Rodgers, spokesman for Cape Wind Associates. The company wants to erect 130 turbines in Nantucket Sound. Each, the opponents like to point out, would be taller than the Statue of Liberty.

<snip>

Young told reporters in Anchorage that it was the Coast Guard that first raised the issue with him, and he's concerned that the wind turbines might threaten navigation.

Coast Guard spokeswoman Angela McCardle said the Coast Guard never asked for the buffer zone that Young's bill required.

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[LynneSin]

1. Whoops - I was wrong

Actually - I can't. I stand corrected

[AngryAmish]

3. Kerry and Kennedy oppose this wind farm

Stevens is just scratching their backs. Stevens has admitted he spoke with Kennedy about this issue. The old bulls look after each other.

[TayTay]

8. Kennedy opposes this.

Kerry has not said either way. He said he wanted the process to play out and to see the environmental impact statements and such. He very vocally denounced the way the attachments to the Coast Guard bill would have killed the Cape Wind Farm by making it a purely local issues subject to a veto by the Mass Gov.

[stepnw1f]

11. Why is Teddy Against It?

What gives?

[AngryAmish]

15. NIMBYism

[stepnw1f]

16. What is "NIMBYism"?

[jpak]

17. Not In My Backyard...

n/t

[AngryAmish]

14. That is fair

I should have checked my facts more carefully.

[One_Life_To_Give]

18. Except the impact studies are already in

And they are all in favor of developing this project.

[phantom power]

19. Remember the rule: The answer is *always* "needs further study"

[Dead_Parrot]

21. well, it might be the rule.

Give me 10 years and I'll confirm it.

[stepnw1f]

4. Lynne?

Did Teddy oppose the wind farm, or is that more right wing twisting of facts?

[OneBlueSky]

6. sounds to me like a deal was struck . . .

because Kennedy and Kerry oppose the wind farm . . . stay tuned . . .

[HereSince1628]

2. Ah don't you just love grudge matches?

You freaking Yankee liberals won't let us develop our vaste resource laden Alaskan wilderness so we are gonna oppose you friggin tree hugging energy program.

[DS1]

5. DOLLARS

[flobee1]

7. lemme get this straight

Repugs are in favor of ruining ANWR with pipelines and oil rigs
but oppose windfarms?
:wtf:

[DS1]

9. And leave all the precious crude in the ground?

Btw, Kennedy is against this farm, doesn't want it ruining the view off his back porch, and as a MA resident, he can take leap off that back porch for all I care

[Warpy]

12. Right, I lived on Cape Cod

and I know where that wind farm is going and how much of his precious view it's likely to fuck up and I think he's dead wrong on this issue.

He's acting like a rich man, something I suppose they all do when some sort of change in their precious lives is proposed.

I've seen wind farms on land and consider them beautiful. I do find them rather noisy, something I found out some years ago when I stayed the night in a hotel outside OKC next to a wind farm. That shouldn't be a problem, though, because they'll be far enough offshore to be completely drowned out by the wind that always seems to be blowing on the Cape.

Kennedy is coming off making a mug out of himself on this issue. Like Kerry, he needs to make noises about seeing environmental impact studies and just shut up.

[kestrel91316]

20. Repugs in AK can't wait to get their greedy little paws on all that oil

money if ANWR gets developed. If wind power takes hold, we won't NEED their stinkin' ANWR. THAT'S why they fight this.

[RaleighNCDUer]

10. I think Alaska's opposition is a given.

My question is, why are Kerry and Kennedy opposed to it?

It's not like having oil platforms offshore -- tall, graceful wind turbine towers would not be nearly as aestherically unpleasing, even if they are visible to the beachfront owners. The Northeast needs a measure of energy independence. I don't see the downside.

Any ideas?

[phantom power]

13. I assume that Kerry and Kennedy attend the same country clubs...

as many other Landed Gentry of the north-east, none of whom want the view from their summer beach-mansions soiled by wind turbines. I bet the even if Kerry and Kennedy would like to see them, they are getting peer pressure from their wealthy (and therefore powerful) peers.