Turbine Plan Whips Up Protests in Quiet, Rural Area West of Chicago

I read this article in the Chicago Tribune this past week and I must say that I am puzzled by the "not in my backyard attitude" that is beginning to flourish whenever someone wants to put up a wind turbine farm. I can understand this attitude with nuclear waste, but wind turbines?

While I was driving along I-80 this past week I noticed that there were numerous (50?) wind turbines in western Iowa (which is the 2nd highest wind-producing state). These light colored windmills were majestic and peaceful dotting the landscape on both the north and south side of the interstate as far as the eye could see. One of the wind mills wasn't moving and I noticed that there were two trucks parked at the bottom of the turbine. I wondered how long it took for the mechanics to climb the tower up to the turbine. I mused at what kind of view the workers had at the top. I also thought about how these workers were probably sipping coffee with their families or sleeping when they received a notification that this turbine was offline. I thought about all of the jobs that were created for this wind farm project and all of the jobs that will be needed to maintain these turbines. I also thought about the positive impact that these wind turbines will have on the air quality of the surrounding communities due to the reduced need for electricity from burning coal.

My reason for mentioning this anecdote is that the synchronicity was too hard to ignore. I think the folks mentioned in the article that aren't too terribly enamored with wind turbines are missing the big picture. These wind farms are a clean supply of electricity that will have a positive benefit to their families, their communities, and future generations. They will also create jobs for construction and for maintenance. Now, I didn't stand underneath one of the wind turbines and listen to how much noise they were making, but when the wind is blowing, how much can one hear anyway? I wonder how the wind companies are addressing these concerns.