This letter to the editor by Tish O’Dell appeared in Crain’s Cleveland Business, September 9th, 2018.
I am writing in response to Ted Auch’s Aug. 26 op-ed, “Personal view: Icy feelings about offshore wind project are misguided.” I am a lifelong Clevelander, have a deep affection for Lake Erie and, in full disclosure, I am a community rights activist with no affection for the fossil fuel industry.
What concerns me about Auch’s piece and, more importantly, about the Lake Erie Energy Development Corp. (LEEDCo) Icebreaker Industrial Wind Farm Project, is, as even Auch admits, this project is “the first built in fresh water”. In other words, Lake Erie, the people and the ecosystems of the lake are being used as an experiment. In other domains, we choose whether or not to participate in experiments. At minimum, we sign a consent form stating our understanding of the risks. But not here.
Auch wrote that those opposing the wind farm suffer from “Not in My Back Yard” (NIMBY) syndrome. Well, after six years as a community rights organizer and activist, I can tell you that most people become activists when their backyards are affected. So, I say good for the NIMBYs who actually do get active and especially for those who learn during the process that simply shifting harms from one community to the next is not a solution.