[Update Dec 12th] Rally Opposing Terra-Gen Wind Project to be Held in Scotia this Saturday
Press release from the Institute for Global Communications:
(Please remember that this is not neutral reporting but a press release from one side of a situation.)
Humboldt residents will gather in the towns of Scotia and Rio Dell for a demonstration to voice opposition to the proposed Terra-Gen wind project. The rally will be held Saturday, December 14 beginning at noon in Scotia at the historic Winema Theatre, followed by a march to Rio Dell at 12:30, culminating in a rally at 1:00pm at the Rio Dell City Hall.This mass mobilization is set ahead of the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors meeting on Monday, December 16 at 9am at the Adorni Center in Eureka, where the Supervisors will review the Planning Commission’s November 21 Denial of Energy Capital Partners’ proposed wind project.Northcoast Climate Justice Coalition, organizers of the demonstration, state that the rally “is an act of solidarity with the Wiyot, Yurok, and other Tribes, the towns of Scotia and Rio Dell, environmentalists, and the many residents in the Eel River Valley that oppose this project.” They continue on, stating, “We need a project that is based on the principles of climate justice – where we do not place the burdens of massive industrial alternative energy projects like this on rural communities, indigenous peoples, and our world renowned biodiversity.”Poster for Rally [Provided by the Institute for Global Communications]
This demonstration comes after a series of highly attended Humboldt County Planning Commission meetings where an overwhelming number of community members raised concerns about “unavoidable” cultural and ecological impacts, including the clearcutting of nearly 700 acres of endangered species habitat.
The Wiyot Tribe states, “This is one of the most diverse landscapes in North America, in part because it was shaped and tended by Indigenous peoples. The project will forever impact not just the spiritual connection of the Wiyot and other individuals, but the biology of this ecological transect and the species which depend on it.”
Along with the Wiyot Tribe, the Bear River Rancheria, Yurok Tribe, the Rio Dell City Council and Town of Scotia oppose the project.
“The City believes Terra-Gen did not come to Humboldt County in the name of creating jobs and increasing revenue for the citizens of Humboldt County,” says Rio Dell Mayor, Debra Garnes. “Terra-Gen came to Humboldt with one thing in mind, and that’s to make money. The City supports creating local jobs and increasing tax revenue, but at what expense?”
[Update December 12th] Organizer, Michael Evenson sent this weather related update:
Due to cold rain forecast we are starting the march at the steps of Rio Dell City Hall and marching to the Winema. Come gather at the Rio Dell City Hall at noon and march to the historic Winema Theater in Scotia.
Join the discussion! For rules visit: https://kymkemp.com/commenting-rules
Comments system how-to: https://wpdiscuz.com/community/postid/10599/
Humboldt ain’t Dumboldt….Get out of Town Terra Gen!
Coincidence that Terra Gen enters an agreement with the Unions after the Planning Commission denied their project and just before the BOS hears it? I think not! How about their director Vajados in the TS this morning…
”This project is dramatic because the opponents are seeking to make it dramatic. This project will reduce dependence on fossil fuels , it maximizes local labor and it ensures a steady supply of clean renewable energy.”
This project is dramatic because it could not be in a worse spot, culturally, environmentally, ecologically and aesthetically!
If the BOS approves, another lawsuit will follow. Who will foot that bill the citizens or Terra Gen? Bohn and Fennell’s political future will be determined by their votes. NIMBY my ass, how about Shelter Cove Estelle!
It’s absolutely shameless…lies, misinformation. Terra Gen’s appeal basically states that if the project is not approved the Russ Ranch will be no more. Lies! The Russ Ranch is in a 600 acre minimum Ag Preserve!
Why isn’t anyone talking about putting them off shore or wave action hydro? If there is no compromise here the Kalifornia government is going to stick something right in our ah, ear. Stop climate change is coming out one side of our mouths, with not in my back yard coming out of the other. Typical of ecofascists, who destroy opportunity without putting any effort into curing the problems created by doing so.
Maybe ask the Russ Ranch what will do
Wind turbine bird mortality is a by-product of large scale wind farms, which are increasingly promoted as an alternative to fossil fuel derived energy production. To adequately assess the extent of impact to avian populations, deeper factors than gross mortality by turbine action must be assessed. In particular, one must examine: (a) impacts to threatened bird species, (b) total impacts due to avian habitat loss as well as direct mechanicalkill, (c) ecological impacts due to apex predator bird loss and (d) future siting decisions for windfarms, since much of the prior bird mortality is due to poor siting decisions.
Bird mortality from wind turbines is a significant adverse ecological impact, and threatens to expand in scope dramatically with the rush to develop new energy sources. This impact is measured as high due to the loss of threatened species and due to disproportionate mortality of top level predators, whose decline can unravel the integrity of entire regional ecosystems. The rapid development of numerous large scale wind farms may be a repeat of the ecological disasters of the 1970s, as the world rushed to producehydropowerfrom every possible river; decades later, we now realize the folly of that hydroelectric excess.
Over four million direct kill bird deaths per annum by 2030 are projected in some scenarios of wind turbine installation. The sheer volume of bird kill does not begin to depict the magnitude of ecological damage, since the most susceptible species tend to be those which are keystone species or species already threatened by other human pressures. Additionally, bird mortality due to large wind farms is exacerbated by inherent linkages between bird behavior and windfarm siting decisions. Proponents of large scale wind farms (including some federal agencies), for example, tend to favor sparsely vegetated saddles or other funnel like landforms, which are highly correlated with high density bird migration routes or raptor soaring locations.
Food for thought
Other power sources, especially oil and coal, also cause bird mortality. Coal currently is estimated to kill 7,900,000 birds a year, and oil another 1,000,000. Ever seen a picture of oiled seabirds?
I did the math in another thread a while ago, and the numbers worked out about equal – assuming every MW of wind displaces a MW of coal and oil, the number of bird deaths remains about the same.
This whole “bird deaths OMG@!!!111” is acting like wind is the only thing that kills birds, and it’s simply not true. All power generation kills birds. And global warming will eventually kill far, far more birds than any minor increase caused by building clean energy.
Is there a way to avoid both scenarios? Like not trading deaths by oil for deaths by turbine? I’m sure that solar panels cause some bird deaths- sometimes birds seem to seek out ways to die. But maybe that is a better road to build.
The problem with solar for our area would be:
1. who is going to pay for it?
2. who has the 3 square miles it will take to equal the wind project?
What Bushytails says is an eye opener. I get it that as a whole, industry is a killer and the numbers are interesting, but as a lifetime local I will say it would be a high moral crime to put mills on that particular ridge system for many reasons. Put ’em offshore and you have a regional gold mine that everyone except some of the fishermen could be proud of.
Too bad the land owner is running out of resources and now needs to resort to changing the landscape and damaging the ecosystem to survive. Where are all the cowboys !
Not much coal is burnt in California for electricity. And much of the oil spills that kill birds is for oil for cars and gasoline. There is only one coal fired power plant in California — the 63-megawatt Argus Cogen plant in the town of Trona in San Bernardino County. I can agree that coal kills birds and mostly by killing the habitats. But that isn’t here in the North Coast. These windmills will do little to change any of that, and in comparison how many bird will be killed from habitat loss by Mining the metal needed for these giants?
However, In the presentation from Terra-Gen they presented a lot of iffy info on how it would effect the populations of Murletts and other Birds here. Not only that, what about the Condor? Or bats? These issues have been seriously under addressed by Terra-Gen because THEY KNOW it WILL affect the bird populations here.. But for as many Turbines they want to throw up on that ridge.. yes, it is like OMG! This project will likely kill a lot of Birds.. Endangered Bird wind-kill pancakes anyone? Or, is that a something Terra-Gen just enjoys?
These turbines will mostly displace burning of natural gas, which I haven’t seen specific bird-kill figures for, as it’s usually lumped with oil. I’d imagine, given as they’re often produced together, that that’s a reasonable assumption.
All power plants need metals mined for their construction. New power plants will need to be built over time even if we do not build these ones.
Rick Golightly, an HSU prof and the expert on Murreletss is not exactly iff on his science. Just because you do not agree with the findings does not make it iffy science.
Northcoast Climate Justice Coalition, you forgot to mention to be sure and wear your pussy hats to the protest, it will keep your ears warm.
Did they wear the hats?
Actually most curious here was the lack of discussion of building standards.
Conservation brings multigenerational equity while waste may cause the unnecessary, in terms of work having to be done, imported materials to be paid for, and like nuclear power plants, a decommissioning cost. Examine your premise as to what are necessaries for Humboldt.
I came to the woods not just to live simply but simply live.
“Terra-Gen came to Humboldt with one thing in mind, and that’s to make money.” Well fucking duh. This is why the government is giving tax credits and other incentives for building renewable energy. By making it more profitable, corporations build more of it.
These protesters are trying to destroy our planet.
Maybe they are trying to save their part of it. Can you really dismiss every caveat so blithely just because it’s an easy insult?
“I want this to be a better project and it’s not there,” Wheeler said. “At least not yet.”
https://thelumberjack.org/2019/11/13/wind-farm-under-scrutiny
Terra-gens’ promises last only as long as their ownership. Which lasts until they sell of the capital they created here. This is their business model. Harvest the subsidies and sell off the liabilities. They should be required to include their own promises in every subsequent sale contract.
“The onshore wind farm was originally developed by Terra-Gen Power, but the company later redistributed various stages of the project to different companies. ” https://www.power-technology.com/features/feature-biggest-wind-farms-in-the-world-texas/
Do you work for Terra Gen Bushytails.. because often you sound like you do..
Nope. I’m just someone who thinks the millions of scientists and organizations saying we need to do something about greenhouse gas emissions immediately are more likely to be correct than not, and thus we should immediately do something, not look for excuses for why we shouldn’t.
will you remove that ugly pos hotel on the hill !
Didn’t you know? Hotels and casinos are fully compatible with sacred land, and all ancestors approve greatly.