The choice isn’t a beach or wind turbines
Frank Coyne, representing opponents of a wind farm off Ocean City, N.J., declared, Were not going to back down or give up, as reported in the Aug. 23 front-page article East Coast wind power may ride on a beach town . Guess what else doesnt back down or give up. An ocean propelled inland by climate change. The local opponents of the wind farm are dwelling in a fantasy world in which their lives near the beach will be just fine if they can fight off the wind turbines. But if we dont move away from fossil fuels to wind and other renewables, there wont be a beach from which to enjoy an unobstructed view. We should reward realism: When it comes time to choose which coastal communities receive support in adapting to sea-level rise and worsening hurricanes, give top priority to those that have already made their own effort to fight these problems by allowing the construction of wind farms off their shores. Deborah Ottinger , Arlington My family has vacationed in Ocean City, N.J., since 1985 and will head back again next summer. This past June, I saw the Protect Our Coast NJ lawn signs and read fliers claiming wind turbines threaten the Jersey Shore. Yet I welcome wind turbines. Built 15 miles offshore, they will fuel half a million homes and businesses energy that currently comes largely from fossil fuels. Wind turbines offer hope that we can mitigate climate change enough to really protect the Jersey Shore. Without sustainable energy, fossil fuels will continue to raise land, air and water temperatures, leading to bigger wildfires, more massive storms, rising seas and increased flooding. Climate change threatens our entire country and world, not just the Jersey Shore. Wind turbines, on the other hand, threaten the business model of fossil fuel companies, which are sending money to the Caesar Rodney Institute and similar groups. The Caesar Rodney Institute, in turn, has funded Protect Our Coast and other anti-wind-turbine groups. We all want the same thing: to protect our shores, our cities and our world. Wind turbines and other forms of sustainable energy offer a way forward. Sadly, supporters of Protect Our Coast NJ might not know the group has received funds from fossil fuel companies. The choice is ours to make. I choose wind turbines. Nancy Koran , Bethesda The Aug. 23 editorial How to prep for extreme heat stated extreme heat already kills more people than hurricanes, tornadoes and floods combined [and] will only worsen in the coming summers. In the same issue of The Post was an article about opposition to wind power in Ocean City, N.J., which draws more than 10 million visitors every year. That report was accompanied by a photo of the boardwalk at Ocean City, with its Ferris wheel, cyclone ride and vendors. These examples of instant gratification and energy waste, as opposed to offshore wind and other tools to reduce reliance on fossil fuels, show the difficulty in changing attitudes. Climate change is a threat to everyone even the Ocean City wind-power protesters. We have to find a way to change attitudes or more people will die because of climate change. Joyce Siegel , Rockville