Keep the turbines off Kittatinny Ridge

Although I agree that wildlife needs to be protected I think a study should be done to determine the effect of the turbines. We need our beautiful wildlife and clean energy.

I agree with Don, the author, there are plenty of oher ridges and mountain tops on which to place 300 foot wide blades.

Rose, do you know how large these turbines are? Thet are hugh!!!

I think you're a LOON, Mr. Heintzelman. The wind is a wonderfully clean energy source, is plentiful across that ridge, and needed in today's world. The wind generators are not unsightly to me, but rather majestic. How, sir, do you figure that this is such a danger to the birds and bugs? The propellers turn slowly, and birds are smart enough to stay away from them. Smarter than you, probably. I bet you drive a Prius.

I'll bet the author of this article is also opposed to drilling for more oil and the addition of new nuclear power plants.

Let's all bike to work and go back to using mules in the farm fields while we're at it!

How about oil wells instead!!!!

Everybody wants energy, but nobody wants a oil derek in their back yard nor, nuclear reactor. What the heck is wrong with a silent, clean giant pinwheel! Finally someone tries to generate power without contamination and your worried about the birds. Guess what birds are not blind! They can see the props and have a enough sense to stay out of their way and fly over the top.. duh! If your really concerned perhaps the blades colors could be brightened, but I'm sure you'd find that offensive too!

What's wrong with you? Do you seriously think these precious birds will do better with atomic radiation, coal soot and oil pollution? Aren't you concerned with the planes and jets flying into them too? Worry about hot air balloons toasting their behinds as well? Some even suggested to take down power lines. I for one don't want to inhale kerosene lamps. In this country we want everything without having to do anything. Well China can't send power over on giant cargo ships.

I know who has the 'bird brains', and it ain't these raptors!

TO ALL THE ANTI-EVERYTHING crybabys. totally stop using everything that needs ANYTYPE of energy . Then come and tell us how to live.

Did any of you critics of the author read his entire post or my comments? We are not against wind turbines; just turbines on that ridge. The man is an expert who knows more about birds than any of us.

Oh, I forgot, you are all experts on energy now that you have seen Al Gore's movie and NBC'S special on wind generation. NBC, by the way, is owned by General Electric who stands to make the most money from wind generation.

I am all for the use of alternate energy--solar, wind, water, hydrogen fuel, However, according to the PBS documentary I watched this weekend it will take at least 50 years to even partially exploit these technologies. It will take decades just to phase out the cars and trucks now being driven. The infrastructure to find, refine and distribute gasoline took almost 100 years to develop.

It will take time for us to become energy independent. How about if we all wear battery packs and propellors on our heads so we can power ipods and cell phones?

By the way, I don't drive a Prius.

There ARE some existing wind turbines located in key migratory bird paths and the effects are quite obvious by the many carcasses littering the ground around the turbines. You don't need any kind of exotic study to see it and know that some endanged birds are taking a beating.

Unfortunately, the knee-jerk reaction then is to oppose any wond turbine anywhere near where a bird has been known to fly. What we need are smart, balanced decisions made with good information. Until wind turbine density is far higher than it is now, there are still lots of good locations that are not in the highest density migration paths. But no matter where you locate them, there will be some animal mortality and the bird advocates need to understand and accept that.

Balancing the various needs, and compromise, are the key.

I call on you to power my appliances, MY OXYGEN SUPPLY/RADIATION SUIT, BECAUSE I WILL NEED IT.
My Momma always says STUPID IS AS STUPID DOES.

Perhaps the author would like to pay our electric and heating bills. This is a win win situation. The birds will go elsewhere and they can see the turbines, they won't fly into them.

It's always the same story. We need more energy but move away from oil they say. Instead lets go wind, oh well no, it might kill some critters. Lets go nuclear, well no, it's too dangerous. Let's go solar, well no, it's unsightly and takes up too much open space. Let's build more water power, well no, the dams will cover too much land.

If we all die now, we could save the planet.

I don't buy the 50 years timeframe; that has already been proven wrong. Many European countries already get about 10% of their electricity from wind and some are approaching 20%. I'd sure call that "partially exploiting".

joe poli wrote:

Did any of you critics of the author read his entire post or my comments? We are not against wind turbines; just turbines on that ridge. The man is an expert who knows more about birds than any of us.
Oh, I forgot, you are all experts on energy now that you have seen Al Gore's movie and NBC'S special on wind generation. NBC, by the way, is owned by General Electric who stands to make the most money from wind generation.
I am all for the use of alternate energy--solar, wind, water, hydrogen fuel, However, according to the PBS documentary I watched this weekend it will take at least 50 years to even partially exploit these technologies. It will take decades just to phase out the cars and trucks now being driven. The infrastructure to find, refine and distribute gasoline took almost 100 years to develop.
It will take time for us to become energy independent. How about if we all wear battery packs and propellors on our heads so we can power ipods and cell phones?
By the way, I don't drive a Prius.

reader wrote:

Perhaps the author would like to pay our electric and heating bills. This is a win win situation. The birds will go elsewhere and they can see the turbines, they won't fly into them.

Every time I hear "win win" I know its BS sell job.

The birds won't go elsewhere. They have been migrating down that ridge every fall for thousands of years, some as far as South America. The reason is that this ride has the most favorable conditions for them to do this.

The problem is these animals aren't able to process the motion of the blades and they fly right into them. So they won't "go elsewhere and they can see the turbines".

If you look at the recent history of the crew that owns Blue mountain, they have some shady doings in the name of profit. This is just another one-another way for them to make money.

should "ridge" not "ride".

This ridge is alos popular for sailplanes for the same reason.

I would be highly suspect at this point of anything that township or the ski area does.

The ski area has proposed a huge condo development on top of the mountain as well. In fact, they petitioned the township to change the zoning form conservation to unrestricted. The township "enthusiastically agreed" with that plan as well a few years ago.

As you know, the Appalachian trail runs on top of this mountain. This is mountaintop land is very delicate, plus it is used for migrating raptors.

Two months after the zoning was changed the property was sold . So you wonder about the integrity of those involved in changing the zoning, Obviously, this property was worth much more to out of state developers with the zoning changed to unrestricted.

This brings us to todays high energy prices and the crew that owns this land now apparently wants a piece of the wind power windfall. They and the township have shown by their record that they have little concern for the unique environment up there.

There are plenty of other places to build windmills in PA. Its obvious the ski area owners and the township are smelling profits and could care less about the environment .

I think the size of the wind turbines may not affect the aminal migration. So I would say to the commission to look at the size because bigger does not always mean better.

It figures (let's all walk to work I guess)

Donald Heintzelman on ANWR:

On March 16, 2005, Donald S. Heintzelman wrote:
I am LIVID with anger over this latest assault on ANWR. This is nothing more than another vote for big business that will have NO impact on America’s use and waste of oil. I think environmentalists, animal rights activist, and Democrats generally should raise HOLY HELL over this and get very nasty with the money grubbing bastards who care about nothing except money.

Having read the "argument" against windmills on Kittatinny, I have to ask the question: Is this another case of NIMBYism (not in MY backyard) or has the author studied the effects of windmills on the migratory habits of these birds? If the U.S. is going to strive for energy independance, can we not have studies in place beforehand, or at least learned commentary on the effects of a few tree-like (ok, giant treelike) devices on migratory birds? Are we going to have to play this game every time a suggestion of a place to build non-polluting pwer sources is going to upset the birds or merely upset the naysayers?

Fred wrote:

There ARE some existing wind turbines located in key migratory bird paths and the effects are quite obvious by the many carcasses littering the ground around the turbines. You don't need any kind of exotic study to see it and know that some endanged birds are taking a beating.
Unfortunately, the knee-jerk reaction then is to oppose any wond turbine anywhere near where a bird has been known to fly. What we need are smart, balanced decisions made with good information. Until wind turbine density is far higher than it is now, there are still lots of good locations that are not in the highest density migration paths. But no matter where you locate them, there will be some animal mortality and the bird advocates need to understand and accept that.
Balancing the various needs, and compromise, are the key.

Where are these carcasses? Got a pictures? Got a reference we all can refer to?
OR is that just your opinion?

All locations you can get a good wind.. so do the birds go.

If these bird lovers care so much.. where's the concern over KFC? May even have the next meeting over chicken sandwiches while jibber jabbering about EAGLE EYED birds that can fly around and over.

OMG.. I just thought of it. I have pinwheels out on the lawn. Now I'm scared hummingbirds could fly into one of them!

COME ON. This stuff gets dumber and dumber. Admit it. You just don't want to look at them! If Holland had you geniuses living there... they'd be 40 feet under the ocean. Sheeeesh!!