The Omnifarium - Toronto

Windmills in Toronto?

Sun, 01 Feb 2009, 17:44

Recently, we visited Kingston, as we occasionally do. As some of you might know, a major installation of wind turbines is currently under construction on Wolfe Island, about 3km across the lake from Kingston. At the time of our visit, about 26 turbines had been erected. But 86 all together are planned for the site.

View of Wolfe Island from Kingston waterfront, wind generators in the distance.

In this city, Toronto Hydro wants to investigate the feasibility of building a wind farm in Lake Ontario, about 3km south of the Scarborough shore. As a first step, they want to install an anemometer to collect wind data over the course of a year.

We believe that a wind farm is a great idea. The burning of fossil fuels is a major cause of the growing amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which is a major factor in climate change. Therefore, alternative energy sources, such as wind and solar power must be pursued.

Telephoto view of wind turbines under construction.

However, there are some people in our neighborhood (Guildwood Village) who oppose a wind farm off the Scarborough shore. What logic can there be in opposing the necessary development of a clean energy source? Some argue that a wind farm would destroy the natural beauty of the Scarborough bluffs. But look at the first photo above. Wind turbines 3km off the Kingston waterfront are barely noticeable on the horizon. How can a wind farm 3km off the bluffs affect their appearance? Besides, the appearance of the bluffs is already changing. The construction of a roadway at the base of the bluffs has benefits in reducing erosion and providing the public with easier access to the lake. But it also means that more vegetation is taking hold, thus hiding the natural soil of the bluffs.

The local opposition to the project is simply yet another case of NIMBY thinking. People want action on the environment, but only if it doesn't directly affect them. But we're all in this together. We all have to make an effort to support environmental concerns, or we'll all have to live with the effects and costs of climate change.

Hans

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