aesthetics; environmentalism is only skin-deep

I think two quotes can summarize this follow-up to the UK wind farm controversy of late:

“It’s not that I’m against wind power – we do have to find alternative, renewable sources of energy,” Sir Chris said in an interview, gesturing toward the Whinash ridgeline from a highway coffee house near here. “But I think each site should be assessed like a balance sheet, on one side the aesthetic and environmental impact that a particular wind farm will have, set against the benefit of the amount of clean power that’s going to be generated. On that kind of audit, Whinash just doesn’t make sense.”

and…

“If we don’t get a move on in cutting our carbon dioxide emissions, our landscape is going to be damaged on a scale that is presently unimaginable,” said Tony Juniper, the head of Friends of the Earth.

both quotes from this New York Times article, aptly titled “Menacing the Land, but Promising to Rescue the Earth.”

One Response to “aesthetics; environmentalism is only skin-deep”

  1. sieber says:

    That’s the trouble, isn’t it? Another example would be, we want sustainable communities but who wants to live next to a giant compost pile? Or, we want sustainability but still want green leafy vegetables in the wintertime.