Who is Behind the Growing Opposition to Wind Energy?
Nearly 1 in 4 wind energy projects today face opposition in the US and Canada. which delays or ends up in the cancellation of these projects. Twenty years ago only 1 in 10 projects faced opposition.
Need-to-Know: A tiny minority oppose wind projects.
Unlike the recent climate marches in hundreds of cities involving millions of people, just 20 to 30 people protest wind projects on average, according to research published this week in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
Wind energy benefits everyone by providing clean energy that reduces local air pollution as well as carbon pollution. Wind is by far the most common renewable energy technology. In the United States and Canada, wind energy grew rapidly from less than 1% of electricity generation in 2000 in both countries, to 8% and 6% in 2020, in the United States and Canada, respectively.
Air pollution is a significant health hazard leading to nearly 8,000 deaths a year in Canada and 50,000 deaths a year in the US. Eliminating pollution from energy sources would bring more than $600 billion in benefits each year from avoided illness and death in the US, according to a new study.
Exactly who are the folks that oppose wind projects?
Small groups of wealthier, mainly white people who live in the Northeastern United States and in Ontario, Canada. That’s based on the PNAS study’s analysis of 36,000 newspaper articles, letters to the editor, and court documents.
“This opposition represents a form of energy privilege that has dramatic air pollution impacts on low-income communities and communities of color.”
How small are these groups?
On average, 23 people in the US and 34 in Canada. Meanwhile, some 75,000 people participated in the climate march in New York City on September 17 this year.
Why has this opposition grown in recent years?
You can probably guess the answer. Many of the small groups responsible for opposition to wind projects are shown to indirectly receive funding from fossil fuel companies through far-right think tanks.
Need-to-Know: Opposition to wind comes from a few wealthy white people backed by the far-right
There was far less opposition when some community ownership in the project was involved.
To summarize:
The transition to clean, healthier forms of energy is being held back by “small groups of wealthier and Whiter wind energy opponents in North America” the study concludes.
Until next time, stay safe
Stephen
P.S. Bird-killing wind turbines? Not quite. Although not part of the study, here’s a graphic based on other research on what actually kills birds.
Need to Know: Science & Insight is my personal newsletter that looks at what we Need-to-Know at this time of pandemic, existential crisis of climate change and unraveling of nature’s life supports.