Strange Bedfellows

Stop the presses! Hell has frozen over and rural Saskatchewan has been inundated with flying pigs. In other news, Kate McMillan agrees with Ted Kennedy! Yes, when it comes to wind farms, they both think that they’re an eyesore. Somehow related to this selfish NIMBY observation is a story about a recent temporary “electrical emergency” in Texas that was triggered by a drop in wind power generation combined with peak usage related to cold weather. Apparently, this is part of Kate’s ongoing campaign to deride and mock the notion of alternative energy sources at every opportunity. If a turbine fails during a torrential storm somewhere around the world, you can bet SDA will be on the case (with exciting video footage!) suggesting they’re infeasible.

Quite frankly, I find this reactionary attitude, not only with regards to dealing in any constructive sort of way with the effects of climate change, but towards dismissing any fossil fuel alternatives as viable potential solutions, to be quite puzzling. Does the fact that no less a corporate icon, arch-conservative and oil magnate than T. Boone Pickens is building the world’s largest wind farm not perhaps give folks like Kate pause for thought to consider that perhaps they’re backing the wrong horses when it comes to our long-term energy future…?