Yes We Can! Long Island 2012
Read the article on the proposal:
More Points of View on LIPA’s New South Shore Wind “Farm” Proposal
Beverly Visconti
I knew it as soon as I heard the new plan was to locate the turbines 13-17 miles south of Long Island. A hard bottom on the ocean floor is needed on which to build the structures. 13-17 miles south of Long Island is exactly where Cholera Banks is located, exactly where ASIG had planned to build the now-defunct Safe Harbor LNG Island.Cholera Banks is the only rugged, rock hard-bottom surface area in this region of the ocean, which is mostly made up of sand and silt. And that’s why marine life has developed there so profusely.
And now, of course, the LI Commercial Fishing Association is starting its fight, as it should. We can’t agree to sacrifice the vast marine life that thrives in that area or the fishermen whose livelihoods depend on Cholera Banks, just like the Louisiana fishermen depend on the Gulf.
Wind turbines are a wonderful idea, in keeping with our need to invest in green energy sources. As much as I hate to say this, perhaps 3 miles south of Jones Beach would be the better choice. Preserving the view does not stand up as a good enough reason to oppose the plan as preserving sea life.
Phil Heckler
Yes We Can! Long Island did not support the LNG Island for several reasons, one of which was the impact on Long Island’s fishing grounds. However I do not think that individual windmills with small footprints can be compared to the Impact of the 60 acre LNG island. In fact windmills in other countries have been found to attract abundant sea life.
In addition the LNG Island offered no benefits to Long Island or the environment. That is not the case for windmills. They are a necessary step to stop climate change and help provide energy independence and green jobs. Thus I do not think we should take a knee jerk opposition this windmill project.
Neil Yeoman
For a variety of reasons, which we all know all too well, LIPA must be supported in its effort to substitute wind for fossil fuels as a source of energy for Long Island. Yes We Can! Long Island and every other responsible organization and individual, must support whatever makes the best long term technological and economic sense.
The public needs to be educated about the realities of the world; they must understand that there will never be perfect solutions to any of the world’s problems; and they must permit, indeed, encourage those responsible for Long Island’s energy future to do their imperfect best for the people they serve.
The current project is a response to the needs of the community and the successful opposition to the closer in project mounted by people who claim to have been environmentalists but were anything but.
Stopping that first wind project was an environmental tragedy, a virtual crime perpetrated against the people of Long Island and the people of the world. LIPA must do what is best, and we all must support them. That may be an expanded version of the closer in project or some combination of the two projects. We must no longer allow people and groups who are insensitive to reality and accountable to nobody to continue to interfere with what needs to be done in the best interests of the community.
More opinions from Yes We Can! Long Island activists will be posted as they are submitted.
The wind park is coming to our area . There will be resistance as there always is. The bottom line is that over 70 % of Long Island residents support it Those who live on the waters edge, drive power boats, fish commercially, or claim to visit the beaches frequently will oppose it. It will split the environmental community I was an active co founder of LI WindWorks the last time the issue was alive. The battle will play out the same again. As long as there is not a negative environmental impact( and those who oppose it will be looking hard to find something) or a negative economic consequence( the same people will also be digging hard to find one) wind power will be coming to a grid near us all soon
Left wing organizations are too often a major obstacle to progress, even if the goal is something they say they support. They talk a lot about the environment and then, out of ignorance or worse, oppose too many things that would help solve the problems the environment faces. I applaud YWC's willingness to post at least a couple of comments from other than the ideological Left.
Well, right-wing organizations are too often filled with ignorance who cannot understand the benefit of understanding all aspects of an issue before acting upon it, so yes, "left wing" organizations are a major obstacle for things that might not have been well thought out and planned.
Glad you appreciate our wide ranging opinions as we feel that results in the best solutions. Ignorance is ignored, as it is all to often used to hold up progress, or worse, to divide us.
From the point of view of those at the extreme Left end of the politcal spectrum the Left can do no wrong; from the point of view of those at the extreme Right the Right can do no wrong; but for those of us in the political middle, or those a little to the Right or Left of center, that there are crazies at both ends is very clear. I would guess that the first writer, the one who opposes the current project, also opposed the first one, and I would guess would oppose just about anything else done on a commercial scale.