WIND POWER OUT OF PUFF IN AUSTRALIA TOO

An intervention by federal Environment Minister Ian Campbell to halt development on a southern Victorian wind farm was a "political stunt" that might kill the burgeoning wind industry in Victoria, the state Government has warned. State Energy Minister Theo Theophanous said Senator Campbell was merely "pandering to a group of people" who opposed the farm after intervening on behalf of the Liberal candidate for the marginal seat of McMillan during the federal campaign. "OK, well, the election's over now, he should become a responsible Environment Minister," Mr Theophanous said. "This action has the potential to kill the wind energy industry if it's taken seriously."

Mr Campbell announced the intervention in the proposed Bald Hills wind farm on the Bass Coast of South Gippsland late on Tuesday. He said he was worried about native birds and migratory birds being caught up in the 52 125m-high turbines, and the associated power transmission line.

The above report appeared in "The Australian" newspaper on October 14, 2004 (p. 3)




GREENIES PUT ARMY PREPAREDNESS AT RISK

It's getting too expensive to prevent Greenie legal harassment

"The Army's largest major command is cautioning the Pentagon that its spending cuts could make it unable to comply with some environmental laws, putting the military at risk of having training sites shut down by activists' lawsuits. The Army Forces Command "is concerned that funding for the sustained management of the training lands ... dwindles dramatically" for the next several years, Maj. Gen. Larry D. Gottardi, a deputy chief of staff for the Forces Command, based at Fort McPherson, Ga., wrote in a Sept. 24 letter.

A spokesman for Gottardi, Barry Morris, said it's up to the military training ranges and bases to manage their natural resources. "How worried are we? I would say we're always concerned that something will impact on our training. That's why we closely monitor environmental laws and impacts," Morris said Tuesday. In the letter, Gottardi tells his Pentagon bosses that "regrettably" most Army projects to sustain the ecological health of its training ranges "were considered optional" and, therefore, will not be funded.

"The policy change also places the training mission in potential jeopardy by providing a sound legal basis for private parties or conservation activists to obtain court-ordered injunctions and effectively shut down all training operations," Gottardi wrote. That management is watched closely by environmentalists. "These are some of the most important wildlife habitats in the world," said Jeff Ruch, executive director of Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, a whistle-blower group that obtained Gottardi's letter. "In many cases, these lands have never been used commercially or recreationally."

In the last two years, Congress has approved several exemptions from environmental laws requested by the Pentagon. They include lowering the threshold for what is considered harassment of a marine mammal and fewer requirements for setting aside areas to help recovery of species of plants and animals in danger of vanishing. It remains unclear just what Congress requires the Pentagon to do to avoid having to set aside as much habitat for species, Gottardi wrote.

More here.

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Many people would like to be kind to others so Leftists exploit that with their nonsense about equality. Most people want a clean, green environment so Greenies exploit that by inventing all sorts of far-fetched threats to the environment. But for both, the real motive is to promote themselves as wiser and better than everyone else, truth regardless.

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