Is wind power really the best solution to the so-called climate change? I am not sure I even believe in global warming. However, putting that aside and assuming that there could be global warming, when you read the current information regarding the carbon footprint of wind turbines, erecting them makes little sense. It has been reported that to manufacture just one of the cement pads that the average industrial wind turbine is placed upon produces 250,000 pounds of carbon. Is this really “green” energy?

Thousands of acres of clearcutting, miles of new road building, grading and clearing of sensitive alpine forest are necessary to have industrial wind power. Doesn’t it make more sense to allow these sensitive mountain ecosystems to remain intact to provide an opportunity for these forests to regenerate and eventually be capable of returning the North Woods to its natural forested state, adding to the planet’s overall stability?

Two thirds of Maine is now within the expedited wind power development area. This follows the creation of the “Wind Power Law” which was signed in 2008. Where are the groups that are supposed to protect and preserve the natural beauty of Maine? Why are they not coming out publicly against wind power on our mountains? Once our mountain ridges have been destroyed by the wind power fanatics, they can never be returned to their natural state. How do we Mainers benefit from this when the energy is supplied to southern New England and not to the residents of Maine? And we are giving up our mountains for this? Citizens wake up and speak out against this outrage!

The beauty of Maine is what draws people from far and wide to visit our State. Who will want to visit and look at the huge wind turbines on our mountain ridges? Who will want to remain living in these areas after the wind farms go up? What will it do to the property values of those homes near enough to the wind turbines for the occupants of those homes to hear and feel the constant pulsating noise that has been reported by individuals living near the wind farms that have already been put up? What will it mean to see the strobe effects of the blades turning against the sun? What will it mean for the plants and animals that live in these areas? What will it mean for the hikers, hunters, fishermen, and others? What about the herbicides used to keep the power lines clear of foliage? Will our water supplies be contaminated because of the herbicides and the erosion caused by these wind farms? There are many unanswered questions.

Those residents living in the townships surrounding Highland Plantation, where 48 wind turbines are scheduled to be put up in the very near future, have not had the opportunity to be heard; and have had absolutely no part of the decision making process whatsoever. I believe that all taxpayers who may be affected by the wind turbines have a right to voice their concerns and be heard.

As a resident of Lexington Township since 1998, and an individual who decided to retire here (not in the heavily populated city of Portland where I grew up) because of the natural beauty of the area including the mountains and the wildlife and the quietness of the country, I am appalled to think that all of this could be forever changed without even so much as a thought as to what it will mean for me and people like me. Would the governor of our State be happy to live near a wind farm? I think not! Nor would many others who are touting the wind farms as the best thing to happen since bubblegum. I say let them have them in their neighborhoods. Leave our mountains alone the way God intended them to be.

Linda J. Miller is a resident of Lexington Township.