OnEarth magazine has a really interesting essay on renewable energy and NIMBYism, by nature writer David Gessner. A former resident of Cape Cod, Gessner was a longtime opponent of the plan to site offshore wind turbines in the ocean near the Cape. But he recently changed his mind. Why? It has to do with Henry David Thoreau and the Gulf Oil Spill.

  • Navin_Johnson

    Yet another issue that “libertarian”, ghoulish oil men, The Koch Bros. apparently had a big hand in:  Bill Koch:  The Dirty Money Behind Cape Wind Opposition

  • Wally Ballou

    Since he is a  former resident of Cape Cod, Gessner’s position can be said to have evolved from NIMBY to ISEBY (“In Somebody Else’s Back Yard”)

  • rad11

    I strongly recommend the movie WINDFALL for all those interested in this topic: http://windfallthemovie.com/

  • seaspray

    Hey. One of my projects on BoingBoing :-D
    Having almost as many NIMBY problems with American offshore projects as we are with British… at least we haven’t been accused of rape there yet though :-p bloody tories.
    Really chuffs to have something I’m working on mentioned on a site I love… but then I’m also a Christian so feel hated…
    Also watch out for more East Coast Windies! New York New York!!!

  • Brainspore

    Great, next we’ll be sending the U.S. Military to “liberate” Holland.

  • Ito Kagehisa

    We’re going to build a large offshore wind farm in Delaware.  The citizenry overwhelmingly support it, which is a good thing since local politicians are being offered millions in “campaign contributions” from entrenched nuclear and petroleum energy interests.

    The only problem is that the taxpayer is going to pay to build it, then pay to maintain it, then pay for the energy the windmills produce… and will never own them. Capitalism is dead, but so is socialism, I guess.

  • digi_owl

    Heh, i can relate to this. My mother is very defensive of her childhood view of the horizon. End result is that she clings to any “reason” for not having windmills off shore around those parts.

  • sweetcraspy

    Whenever I see wind farms, I get a little thrill of living-in-the-future feeling.  I do know that they can be a big problem for migrating birds, but aesthetically, they only have positive connotations for me.

  • BurlVeneer

    That Delaware offshore wind farm project looks dead: http://theenergycollective.com/jimpierobon/72831/after-bluewater-offshore-wind-retreat-nrg-energy-what-next-shoe-drop-us