When evaluating public debates, I find it helpful to determine whether arguments are made in good faith or serve as a disguise for less-respectable motivations. This assessment has been particularly useful in the offshore wind debate.
Opponents claim to be guided by deep principles, yet I rarely see them apply those principles consistently.
For instance, the Caesar Rodney Institute argues the US Wind project will harm wildlife and clutter beach views, while simultaneously advocating for oil drilling in the same waters. Where do their true loyalties lie?
Sussex County Council and Planning & Zoning Commission members also express environmental concerns, but their unblinking approval of sprawling housing developments, which contribute to deforestation and pollution flowing into our bays and oceans, raises questions about their sincerity.
Critics of wind projects argue they kill birds and whales, yet they seem silent on the dangers posed by outdoor pets, the leading threat to wild birds, and global warming, which affects whale food sources. How legitimate can their worries be?
And I have never heard these so-called environmentalists criticize the dredging of Delaware Bay, which damages marine habitats and releases toxins, to facilitate access for oil tankers to refineries.
Despite its imperfections, offshore wind presents a significantly better option for human and environmental health than many harmful activities its opponents overlook or endorse.
So, what truly fuels the opposition to offshore wind? Readers can draw their own conclusions based on the contradictions above.
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