Vermont Lt. Gov. Likens Wind Turbines to Farm Silos

Lt. Governor David Zuckerman cited similarities between wind turbines and silos during his debate with Governor Phil Scott on Thursday.

Zuckerman said that Vermonters were disturbed by the way silos looked, but they got used to it. The implication was that Vermonters would get used to industrial wind turbines.

This sounds foolish—and it is—but, let’s try to forget that for a moment. What Zuckerman is telling us is that there’s only one problem with wind turbines—and that’s their appearance.

If you’ve thought about wind turbines for more than seven seconds, you know that they are enormous. You also know that in Vermont they are placed in the most environmentally sensitive areas that we have—our mountain forests. Preparing a site for a wind energy plant is the worst thing you can do to a mountain this side of mountaintop removal. And if you’re a bird or a bat, you may prefer mountaintop removal to a line of wind turbines.

So, while the LG wears his commitment to climate action on his sleeve, one of his preferred solutions degrades the very natural resources that protect us from climate impacts. And he’s telling us to get over the way the turbines look!

(We will leave the discussions about intermittency, fossil fuel backups, and puny carbon savings for some other day.)