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Archive for November 17th, 2012

Nov 17

earth

Climate change has been occurring for millennia

David Amsler — Buffalo News — November 16, 2012

A trip to an Alaskan glacier a few years back brought home the reality of climate change. Not only was there the expected real evidence of the recent retreat of the glacier, but also of its size in prior centuries, extending miles further to completely fill its fiord and out into the sea in Columbus’ time.

Then, on return to Seattle, Wash., I saw a display showing how that area, like much of New York State, was completely covered in a mile-thick layer of ice about 14,000 years ago, and how that melted in the space of just 2,000 years (80 generations). From mile-thick ice here to glaciers continuing to retreat a thousand miles from here is climate change, and we did not cause that.

Despite evidence of continuing climate change over thousands of years, we panic and are encouraged to rush into half-baked policies that benefit mostly crony capitalists. Policies such as forcing power companies to purchase electricity from wind turbines located in areas like New York, where winds are too intermittent to allow our large electric power-generating plants to ramp down and back up again to maintain power when winds subside, thus wasting energy and our assets.

Wrecking our economy and squandering our assets with such waste will not stop climate change, but will destroy our ability to deal with that change.

Nov 17

Brantford being encouraged to suck up the FIT subsidies

Advocates hold meetings on energy co-operative

Michael-Allan Marion — Brantford Expositor — November 16, 2012

PARIS – Green advocates are trying to spark public interest in establishing a co-operative to produce and market renewable energy.

The Ontario Sustainable Energy Association is partnering with Brant Renewable Energy to establish the green co-op with a series of three public workshops to be held in the very buildings that will house roof-top solar panel installations.

The workshops will be held:

– Tuesday from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. in the Burford Community Centre;

– Wednesday, from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. in the South Dumfries Community Centre in St. George;

– Nov. 28, from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. in the Brant Sports Complex.

More information about the workshops is available at http://www.ontario-sea.org.

The co-op is being established to take advantage of the FIT – Feed In Tariff — program under the Green Energy Act, which encourages the development of such renewable energy sources as solar, wind, water and biomass to replace coal for the production of electricity by 2014.

The program sets a fixed price incentive to get the technology off the ground. IN the FIT program, a guaranteed payment for electricity generated makes renewable energy a profitable investment.

(To continue reading, click here)

Nov 17

wind_turbines_-_election
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NDP MPP Forster to bring turbine concerns to caucus

Dave Johnson — The Tribune — November 16,2012

WELLAND - MPP Cindy Forster will take concerns expressed to her in a recent meeting over industrial wind turbines to the provincial NDP caucus.

Forster recently met with Wainfleet Ald. Betty Konc and Cam Pritchard, co-chair of West Lincoln Wind Action Group, to hear what the two had to say about proposed industrial wind turbine farms in their two communities.

“Wind turbines are on everyone’s mind and there’s stories every day on new research coming forward,” Forster said.

She said she had heard some of the issues raised by the two before, and added that one of her staff members was at a recent Wainfleet Ratepayers Association meeting and brought back what was heard there on the issue.

“I will take their concerns back … whenever our next meeting is. I don’t think I heard anything new per se.”

But, said Forster, the issue is something that could be looked at by the NDP, especially with Health Canada calling for a study on the effects of industrial wind turbines.

Forster, in her first term as MPP, realizes the issue of industrial wind turbines also goes beyond health effects.

“It’s problematic for people in rural areas and is pitting neighbour against neighbour, friend against friend.”

(To continue reading, click here)