It took nine years and an effort worthy of Hercules to get permits for a wind turbine farm off the Massachusetts coast.  Critics continue to resist the very visible turbines for reasons ranging from the Endangdered Species Act to a desire to preserve pristine ocean views.

I am watching a similar battle occur here in upstate New York as planned wind farms move forward.  Spoiled views are also a form of waste; they too are part of the second law of thermodynamics.

“Resistance to an energy technology is inversely proportional to how close it is to becoming a reality,” goes an old saying. 

There is, in other words, no free lunch. 

From gulf oil to Cape Cod wind farms, from new nuclear power plants to giant electric panel grids, we are going to have to face a dizzying array of choices very soon if we want to keep the lights on to the extent they have been blazing for the last 100 years. 

It’s time for all of us to look in the mirror.

How prepared are we, individually, to face up to the waste, gunk, goo, noise and spoiled views that must come with keeping those lights blazing?

Time to act folks