David Michael Bloomberg, Mayor of New York, has proposed an aggressive plan to use wind power to meet 10 per cent of the city’s energy needs. And how does he propose to accomplish this bold goal in North America’s most densely populated urban environment? Easy. Put the wind turbines on top of buildings, bridges, and in the water.
This is exactly what Toronto needs. If anything, it would be easier to accomplish here, since our population density is so much lower. And, we have tonnes of unused land. Every day, I look out from my office over the vast expanse of nothing that is the Portlands/Donlands. Why can’t we through a few dozen windmills out there? And a few more out in the lake? Probably because we have a total leadership vacuum on this stuff at all levels of government. But I’m sure there must be a way to leverage private sector involvement in this stuff. There’s money to be made here, folks. And if we can reduce fossil fuel-generated electricity in the process, so much the better.
Of course, the NIMBY crowd will no doubt complain about new wind turbines cluttering up sightlines. To which I say: what do you prefer? Wind turbines in your view, or devastating climate change? Yeah, I thought so.
David Bloomberg = Michael Bloomberg
Just because there’s space doesn’t mean there’s wind. So, what you see out your window might not be the result of poor leadership. It might be a bad case of physics.
Besides, the good mayor from New York is basically floating a nice idea. It’s not a major policy statement given in New York’s City Hall. He’s at a convention in Vegas, which is where things tend to stay. (What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.)
Here’s what will be the result if anything actually were to happen: companies will bid in a corrupt process that will see a politically connected company receive a fat government contract it cannot deliver on. But that will only come out years from now, when all the money is already spent and nothing has been done.
And another thing: Where does Toronto get it’s power from now? Total guess here, but it’s got to be getting at least some from the hydro power plant at Niagra Falls. If the power is already “clean,” why bother setting up expensive and dangerous turning blades close to where people live?