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Post by cloudwalker on Dec 14, 2015 6:48:33 GMT -8
From the article: Bobby Mann said he watched communities dry up when I-95 came along and warned that would happen to Woodland because of the solar farms.
I live about 20 minutes from Woodland and I can tell you, the town, much like the one I live in is already dead.
EDIT TO ADD: Over the past 2 years the small town that I live in has installed a 190 acre solar farm. I recently received a $15 discount on my utility bill so let 'em suck up all the sunshine they can.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 14, 2015 7:00:56 GMT -8
Maybe those folks in Woodland, North Carolina would prefer one of Wyoming's open-pit coal mines near their fine little village. I live about an hour's drive from the Powder River Basin and the largest open-pit coal mines of North America. Here coal miners make over $50,000 a year (starting wages) driving gigantic, high-tech trucks full of coal to feed the power plants of the country. But clean energy endangers their livelihoods, and the price of coal has declined so far that their multi-national employers are filing bankruptcy. Maybe when those miners hear the news out of Woodland, they will cheer that some small-town science teacher finally figured out the pernicious effects of solar panels on photosynthesis and property values. I'm sure there is a train-load of coal here we can send to those good folks. Merry Christmas, Woodland!
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rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on Dec 14, 2015 8:04:48 GMT -8
I read the "deeper read" article. Concern about the aesthetics of the solar farms and property values are legit, to a degree (see Travis's note about open-pit coal mines). But most of the arguments just come across as ignorant. "Mary Hobbs has been living in Woodland for 50 years and said she has watched it slowly becoming a ghost town with no job opportunities for young people." In what way does she see blocking development helping this problem? There does seem to be a disconnect between who feels impacted by it, and apparently has control over development of the land, and who get to benefit from it. Maybe they should look at that problem, rather than worrying that the solar farm will steal the sunlight so the plants can't photosynthesize. That kind of idiotic statement tends to reduce the credibility of any legitimate concerns (i.e., economic ones).
ATVTuner--I don't see any sign that they are 'taking' land for this. They were requesting rezoning, not eminent domain. I might even support the town if they just said "hey, this is open space/farm land and should stay that way." But that wasn't the argument, at least, not the argument presented in the report.
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RumiDude
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Post by RumiDude on Dec 14, 2015 10:23:05 GMT -8
I might even support the town if they just said "hey, this is open space/farm land and should stay that way." But that wasn't the argument, at least, not the argument presented in the report. Exactly! If they said they just didn't like the looks of it, that would be fine with me. At least that would be truthful. There also is no evidence there is any profiteering going on here. It appears to simply be more business like that before. What makes this story funny is the crazily unscientific reasons put forth by a former science teacher and reasons from others which have no baring on the matter. Rumi
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Post by Lamebeaver on Dec 14, 2015 10:29:08 GMT -8
Kinda like this
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rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on Dec 14, 2015 12:38:58 GMT -8
Wow, LB. That's pretty amazing.
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Post by atvtuner on Dec 14, 2015 13:58:14 GMT -8
There also is no evidence there is any profiteering going on here. Yes, I'm sure they are building the solar collectors purely out of the goodness of their heart. :D Again, it looks to me like the one speaker was just willing to persuade the z-board by playing to the ignorance of the crowd at the meeting. As much "not in my backyard" as "where's my piece of pie?" .....most likely. Who doesn't like pie?
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johnnyray
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Post by johnnyray on Dec 14, 2015 14:18:03 GMT -8
The local science teacher would know just how uneducated the local populace is.
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Post by Lonewolf on Dec 14, 2015 16:11:36 GMT -8
That sprinkler lady would freak out if she knew that rainbows are complete circles from a flying aircraft.
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RumiDude
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Post by RumiDude on Dec 14, 2015 22:44:14 GMT -8
There also is no evidence there is any profiteering going on here. Yes, I'm sure they are building the solar collectors purely out of the goodness of their heart. :D Again, it looks to me like the one speaker was just willing to persuade the z-board by playing to the ignorance of the crowd at the meeting. As much "not in my backyard" as "where's my piece of pie?" .....most likely. Who doesn't like pie? profiteering = a pejorative term for the act of making a profit by methods considered unethical
Very few people would deny a business has a right to a profit. Profiteering is an entirely different thing. And nothing you linked to demonstrated ANY profiteering. If you have knowledge of evidence of profiteering, then please share.
If the retired teacher was willing to persuade others by spouting untruths, then that would definitely be unethical.
Rumi
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Post by atvtuner on Dec 15, 2015 9:48:11 GMT -8
Making a profit is a good thing. Making a profit without paying into the local tax base in a significant way while making people's property worth much less? To me that's unethical.
Here's how they could make it right: Ask the town to annex the whole project then start paying taxes. Offer all property owners impacted a buy out that covers full replacement, relocation, and compensation for the time and trouble to do so.
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amaruq
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Post by amaruq on Dec 15, 2015 11:27:59 GMT -8
You know, she's not wrong.
The grass directly beneath the panels will not get enough sunlight to photosynthesize and likely die.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 15, 2015 12:51:22 GMT -8
You know, she's not wrong. The grass directly beneath the panels will not get enough sunlight to photosynthesize and likely die. That reminds me of a Rush song, "The Trees."
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RumiDude
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Post by RumiDude on Dec 15, 2015 19:03:05 GMT -8
Making a profit is a good thing. Making a profit without paying into the local tax base in a significant way while making people's property worth much less? To me that's unethical. Here's how they could make it right: Ask the town to annex the whole project then start paying taxes. Offer all property owners impacted a buy out that covers full replacement, relocation, and compensation for the time and trouble to do so. The town could annex the property any time it wishes but has not. The reason many municipalities do not annex land is because then the city is responsible to provide services. So you see, it's a two way street.
There is no evidence the property values have dropped due to the solar farms. Plus the people who own the property of the proposed solar farms are impacted because the land sale is probably contingent on the rezoning. The solar farm has offered to set back the structures from the property line and to provide sufficient vegetation. These are reasonable accommodations.
Again, there has been no evidence offered that indicates any profiteering. If the people don't want it, then just say so. Offering up outlandishly ignorant excuses undercuts the citizens' complaints and makes them look foolish. And that brings us full circle back to laughing at the retired science teacher's ridiculous statements.
Rumi
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Post by Deleted on Dec 16, 2015 20:00:33 GMT -8
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