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Sierra Club joins Big Wind Bullies at Apex, Diminishing our Environment

By Mary Kay Barton -- November 27, 2018

“Today’s Sierra Club has strayed so far from [John] Muir’s original mission of protecting life and our natural environment it is unbelievable. We are greatly saddened to see the Sierra Club (a group many of us used to support) now lobbying for the destruction of vast swaths of rural America with industrial wind sprawl,…”

Sierra Club founder, John Muir, must be rolling over in his grave.

Recent news reports and advertisements indicate the Sierra Club’s uncritical support for Apex Clean Energy‘s proposed industrial wind project along the shores of Lake Ontario — despite the massive environmental destruction such a large-scale industrial project (600-foot-tall turbines with 240-foot blades) will cause! 

Never forget, it was a brave representative of the Los Angeles chapter of the Sierra Club, Bob Hattoy, who coined the term “the Cuisinarts of the air” in a late 1980s battle against a wind project in Gorman, California.…

Wind Power Misinformation in the Empire State

By Mary Kay Barton -- July 26, 2016

“Manhattan Institute scholar, Robert Bryce, recently reported that the wind industry has garnered $176 billion of crony cash here in the U.S. It’s no wonder the American Wind Energy Association spends over $20 million per year lobbying for more of the same!”

Who can be in favor of industrial wind blight, enriching the top one percent at the expense of taxpayers, ratepayers, and the rural environment? Yes, as Donald Trump has noted, “America is being auctioned off to the highest bidder.”

The reason for this travesty of concentrated benefits, diffused costs at the hand of government is half-truths and misinformation. A recent article, NY looks to the wind to replace its fossil fuel diet, by Joe Mahoney, is a case in point.

There is nothing “free,” “clean,” or “green” about industrial wind.…

Wherever Sited, Industrial Wind Is a Loser

By Mary Kay Barton -- January 19, 2016

 “Industrial wind is a NET LOSER: economically, technically, environmentally, and civilly – no matter where it is sited.”

Thanks to crony capitalism between both major political parties and wind developers, the federal wind Production Tax Credit was extended for the 7th time for this ‘infant’ industry (for a history of the first six extensions, see here). As a result, Big Wind LLCs continue to target Western, Central, and Upstate New York. And so the multi-decade grass roots backlash against Big Wind rages on.

One battleground is on the shores of Lake Ontario.

Despite overwhelming community opposition, APEX hopes to blight these shores (a major migratory flyway) throughout the Towns of Somerset and Yates (Niagra and Orleans Counties respectively) with 620-foot-tall industrial wind turbines.  These massive turbines would be the largest land-based wind turbines in the U.S.…

Wind Power Destruction in New York State: ‘Clean’ Power Plan Problem

By Mary Kay Barton -- November 11, 2015

Industrial Wind vs. Rural America, Electricity Markets

By Mary Kay Barton -- August 12, 2015

Industrial Wind: A Net Loser, Economically, Environmentally, Technically, Civilly

By Mary Kay Barton -- May 7, 2015

Taxpayer Alert: Big Wind Urging Congress for Yet Another Bailout

By Mary Kay Barton -- November 24, 2014

Industrial Wind Needs Blowback (Siemens ad campaign targeting U.S. taxpayers)

By Mary Kay Barton -- August 20, 2014

New York Wind Wars: Hiding the Facts (PTC allows Invenergy to desecrate)

By Mary Kay Barton -- September 12, 2013

New York’s (Agenda 21) “Sustainability” Planning: What About Wind Power’s Ecological Insults

By Mary Kay Barton -- March 5, 2013