During this chilling transition into winter, things can start to look grim for the coming months. Shorter daylight hours can get anyone down, and if winter sports aren’t your thing, the prospect of snow might do nothing more for you than conjure up images of backbreaking, early-morning shoveling.
Still, I’ll take Maine any day. The natural beauty and unlimited outing opportunities it offers might not be everyone’s vision of a “Vacationland”, but for those who opt for sub-zero mornings over sandy beaches, and boots over bikinis, it’s a winter wonderland.
But tourism can be a finicky economic business model for any state. High gas prices stemmed the usual steady stream of summer visitors, and a mild winter can wreck havoc on the state’s ski industry.
If the state wants to survive this time of economic pessimism, Maine needs to remember the natural legacy that has always been at the root of it’s economic success, and national notoriety as a nature-lovers destination. At the same time it must also keep an eye to the future, figuring out how to keep and create jobs in the state, so that those who enjoy living here can have the opportunities to continue doing so.
These two goals should not have to contradict each other, but as the renewable energy industry sets its gaze on our rolling hills and rocky coasts, a confrontation is brewing. Some Maine residents see proposed wind farms as a blight on the land, a giant spinning eyesore that corrupts the state’s natural heritage.
While aesthetics are a hard issue to argue, I would encourage Mainers to weigh the costs and benefits of this new frontier of “green” energy and realize that it is far from marring the reputation and scenic appeal of the state.
In fact, embracing clean, renewable sources of energy would act as a testament to just how much we value this natural gift, and would be a statement of our intent to keep it looking as pristine as the pages of an L.L. Bean catalog.
Many of Maine’s island residents are embracing offshore wind power in an effort to counter rising fuel prices, a problem amplified for them by the harsh weather off the coast that makes island home very expensive to heat.
As discussed in more depth in Arthur Page’s article on the opposite page, Danish energy expert Soren Hermansen shared the story of his island community’s switch to renewable power at a recent sustainability conference in Belfast, Maine.
Responding to a challenge from the Danish government, the people of Samso Island built their own wind turbines, and bought shares in them. Now, 10 years later, the people of Samso produce 10 percent more power then they need each year, and island residents with shares in the project turn a profit selling excess power to the mainland.
It’s hard to ignore the success and potential of this business model. The energy sector has long been an industry controlled by large corporations, harvesting limited resources at whatever costs necessary, and passing on the cost to consumers.
This potential “green revolution” in energy that we find ourselves presented with is really a liberation of energy, giving the average citizen a chance at reasonable energy costs, as well as reliving the burden that years of non-renewable fuel harvesting has caused.
If Maine were to invest in these technologies on a larger scale, we could lead the nation and stand as an admirable example of energy-independence. Maine’s small population and large tracts of unpopulated land make it an ideal candidate for renewable energy.
The impact of such a program would not only be an economic boost to a struggling state, but would make a powerful statement about the Maine mindset; we want to compete in our nation’s economy, but we want to do so in a socially and environmentally responsible way that reflects the values and assets of this great state.
Thank you for reading,
Matt Dodge