"I support Greenpeace's actions in campaigning against whale hunting, it's saving of precious forests, protection of fish resources and management of water ways, but I believe one huge mistake Greenpeace had made is their support of industrial wind turbines as a means to reducing carbon emissions." - Charlie Arnott, farmer ''If the environment movement, and … Continue reading A farmer writes to the new head of Greenpeace
Month: January 2013
Sit down and shut up – or we’ll call the police
You will enter the room only if you have the right colored card. You will not ask questions until we say you can ask questions. If you cause trouble, we will call the police and you will be removed. A public meeting held in a small South Australian outback town has shed new light on … Continue reading Sit down and shut up – or we’ll call the police
Nothing earns more than a wind farm
Fictional mafia boss Tony Soprano told people he was in the waste management business. "Everybody immediately assumes you're mobbed up," he said. "It's a stereotype. And it's offensive … There is no Mafia." Soprano's approach was to find an edge, then enforce it with muscle. The model was simple: big returns, little or no risk … Continue reading Nothing earns more than a wind farm
As Australia burns, an impassioned plea from a fire fighter’s wife
This week, fires raged across eastern Australia. The media reported some pilots saying aerial water bombing would struggle with turbines. And the following email was sent by a New South Wales country resident to a government department. Dear Sir, Further to the previous two emails sent over the Christmas period, please note this update. I … Continue reading As Australia burns, an impassioned plea from a fire fighter’s wife
Wind energy and the reconstructed smoking milk bottle
It's the transcript of an information session held in Melbourne last year grandly titled "The Future of Wind Energy in Australia". It was organized by The Grattan Institute. Jonathan Upson (pictured) is senior development manager at Infigen Energy. Now, when one of our group relayed his comments, we thought it was a joke. It had … Continue reading Wind energy and the reconstructed smoking milk bottle
God’s energy vs Greed energy
The proposed Boco Rock Wind Farm will be located 10km south west of Nimmitabel, and 30km north of Bombala, in New South Wales. The wind farm will comprise up to 122 wind turbines spread over 24 different properties. Already, developers Continental Wind Partners and Wind Prospect Group have put up for sale a stake in the project … Continue reading God’s energy vs Greed energy
Wind farm noise? It’s the sound of lawyers going to court
Try this. Google the words "wind farm lawsuit" and see how many listings you get. When we did this, the result was 897,000. Around the world, plaintiffs are busy. In courts throughout Europe, Canada, the US and Britain a massive number of litigation actions are underway. Many of these relate to health impacts. The University … Continue reading Wind farm noise? It’s the sound of lawyers going to court
Deals done in ivory towers
Recently several of us were out to dinner with people not involved in the wind farm issue. But unprompted, a question arose from the second group. What is it with Sydney University and wind farms? When asked what the questioner meant, the response was enlightening. "I've noticed the university has a real bug about discrediting … Continue reading Deals done in ivory towers
Winds of change or Enron’s ghost?
Andrew Fastow served as the chief financial officer of Enron Corporation, an energy trading company based in Houston. He subsequently served a six-year prison sentence for crimes committed in this role. His sentencing judge said Fastow had "drunk the wine of greed". Excerpt: In 1997 Fastow decided to take it one step further. That January, … Continue reading Winds of change or Enron’s ghost?
These are our questions for Simon Chapman
These are our questions for Simon Chapman, professor in public health at the University of Sydney. 1. From your extensive CV, we notice you don’t have a medically related qualification, or specialize in hearing and hearing disorders, nor are you an acoustic engineer. Is that correct? 2. In the first paragraph of page 1 in … Continue reading These are our questions for Simon Chapman
STOP THESE THINGS 