German flagship ARD public television recently broadcast a report on Germany’s Energiewende called: “The Battle Over Wind Turbines”
Meet the Schmidt’s in northern Germany. The family, like many Germans, once welcome wind turbines and viewed them as a responsible way to produce energy in an environmentally and climate friendly way. Today the ARD reports that they have long changed their minds ever since their home has since become surrounded by industrial wind parks in all directions. “They no longer recognize their landscape.”
They are the victims of a corrupt but powerful industry.
According to the ARD, wind park developers are simply steamrolling over local residents who oppose them, and installing the giant machines less than a few hundred meters away from homes, and many natural places where they don’t belong.
And even though there is no longer a demand for wind power in northern Germany, wind parks continue to be built. Often turbines are shut down so as to not overload the grid (but they get paid no matter if they run or not – which is why they keep getting built).
At the 4-minute mark, one community in south Germany (Erlangen) actually installed wind turbines where there is not even enough wind for them to make a profit. Here the message of being “green” (and making easy money at consumers’ expense) trumps common sense. The madness knows no end. And there are plans to build even more in the area.
“Dirty business with clean energy”
With all the madness, the ARD reporter says at the 5:30 mark that it’s no wonder that trust in wind parks is disappearing in Germany. Another problem, the report states, is that often wind parks are approved by politician’s who have a direct interest and business dealings in them, meaning the industry is rampant crony capitalism ‚Äì the very kind that Germans are typically famous for opposing. For example Rannungen mayor Fridolin Zehner had a wind turbine built where none is supposed to be built ‚Äì on his own land ‚Äì thus allowing the honorable mayor to cash in on lucrative leasing fees ‚Äì to the tune of 10,000 euros annually.
The same type of sweet deal was worked out by town councilman Egon Sendelbach in Urspringen. Germany-wide local politicians and town councilmen are profiteering from wind parks at the full expense of the citizens and the common good. Sendelbach tells ARD he has no problems with it.
