Cape Wind

The Cape Wind project has been approved by the federal government after an extended battle over the issue. For me, this is one of the most interesting not in my back yard battles I've seen in recent years. It certainly amazes me that the party that wants to drill in the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge is opposed to Cape Wind. A case of out of sight out of mind? I know I cannot support canceling this project when the main opposition arguments are that it will be ugly and make fishing harder.

I completely agree with those that say the view of the sound would never be the same. Though I feel it will become a national wonder like the Hoover dam. At my dad's cabin on Lake Huron we can see giant wind turbines on the horizon and they are fascinating. We take turns looking through binoculars at them, and I have never once thought that they ruined the skyline. There is a majesty in the sight of wind turbine's cranking away on the horizon that I find tranquil and calming.

On the fishing front, my main issue with the current plan is that it is too accommodating to fishermen. I would love it if the proposed area would be off limits to all industrial fishing operations and become a marine preserve. As much as fishermen might complain I believe the long term benefits to marine and the fisheries off the Cape would far outweigh the short term hardships. Though I know that long term benefits would do nothing to assuage a fisherman that lost his livelihood in the short term.

To be fair, I'm not one of the property owners or fisherman that will be effected by the project. Though if it knocked property values down to a range where I could afford to own a vacation home on the Cape I wouldn't complain about the view. I can understand their concerns, but when I weigh a future where the Cape is under water from global warming or the Cape has a view of wind turbines in the Sound I'll take the wind turbines. I am not so naive to think this project alone would make a difference, but I think it is a stepping stone to a solution.

I'm sure there will be plenty of legal challenges to it, but with everything I know about I really hope I'm around to see this project rise above the waves. If it's opponents do manage to kill this project than I know I will lose even more of my hope for the future of our planet.