Entry 1117, on 2009-11-12 at 20:15:44 (Rating 3, Politics)
I recently listened to a podcast featuring Brian Turner, a prominent New Zealand poet and environmentalist. He was celebrating the decision of the environment court not to allow an energy company to go ahead with building a wind farm in a remote location in Central Otago. I tend to have a fairly "green" political focus although I'm certainly not an extremist in any way, but wind farms are are a subject that I'm a bit uncertain about.
Most environmentalists would say they want to see renewable energy production being used where possible, so why have so many fought against wind farms? In this case it was because they would spoil the look of the desolate and isolated Central Otago landscape and I agree that they would do that, but is that a compromise which is necessary to reduce our reliance on non-renewable and carbon producing technologies like coal?
Many environmentalists (including Turner) say we should be finding ways to reduce our reliance on energy instead of just trying to make more and that is a fair point. But that is easier to say than do. To reduce the amount of electricity we use for heating, for example, requires a lot of cost and significant amounts of resources to be used to produce and install insulation and to install more energy efficient heating systems. Its not as easy as saying we should use less energy and that magically happening.
So the problem with some environmental campaigns is that they spend a lot of time saying what we shouldn't do but not much time saying what we should. Environmentalist don't want wind farms because they spoil the appearance of the environment, they don't like hydro for the same reason, they don't want polluting technologies like coal, and they certainly don't want nuclear. There really isn't anything left apart from the rather vague idea that we should be managing our existing energy more efficiently. That's actually not very helpful.
I often have to defend green ideas from the attacks of my more right-wing opponents but that is difficult when many people with green tendencies can be as fixed in their ideas and as unwilling to compromise as those on the right.
I have generally kept away from membership of any political organisation. At one time I was a financial member of GreenPeace but I cannot agree with many of their ideas which are too much based around almost theological views rather than facts. I agree with protecting the environment, fisheries, native species, etc from exploitation but I can't see why we shouldn't explore technologies such as genetic engineering and nuclear power to help achieve those goals.
From a purely economic perspective it doesn't make sense to litter our landscape with wind farms. Tourism is very important to us and why would anyone come here just to see more of what they have at home. Particularly in Central Otago where there is that strong sense of primordial isolation it would be unfortunate to have technology spoiling it.
If we can generate power in other ways or achieve significant efficiencies to avoid the need for new generation then that's good. I would also like to see more wind farms in less environmentally important locations, especially nearer the cities they will be providing power for. Like everything its all about compromise. I just hope the green side of the political spectrum can show the common sense and flexibility they often criticise the other side for lacking.
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