Energy industry claims more victims
By now it's a familiar story: Another rural community torn apart by conflicts over energy development. Father pitted against son, brother against brother, and neighbor against neighbor, as some celebrate the influx of money and jobs, while others rail against the destruction of their peaceful way of life, the noise and pollution, and the damage to their pristine surroundings.
But the story of the Tug Hill plateau near the village of Lowville in upstate New York is a bit different:
"Is it worth destroying families, pitting neighbor against neighbor, father against son?" asks John Yancey, whose family have farmed Tug Hill for generations. "Is it worth destroying a whole way of life?"
Similar questions are being asked across the state and the country as more and more small towns grapple with big money and big wind.
Yep, she said "big wind."
Shouldn't that be capitalized? Big Wind. Like Big Oil, Big Pharma, and Big Tobacco.
I guess wind power was all green and cool when only a few aging hippies and their starry-eyed, Gaia-worshipping offspring were involved. But now it's becoming a big industry. So the usual suspects are beginning to express doubts, view with alarm, and wring their hands with worry and concern.
I guess some people won't be happy until there is no energy industry at all. No industry of any kind, for that matter. I guess they want us all to live in primitive huts, subsistence farm, and huddle around dung fires.
