We all know the impact of documentary films: Super Size Me changed how many people looked at McDonald’s, The End of the Line warned of the threat of overfishing, and Grizzly Man taught us that wild grizzly bears are not to be messed with. Now a new film from Laura Israel is set to shine some light on what happens to a community when they bring wind turbines into their town.
To quote Windfall‘s official synopsis: “Wind power… it’s sustainable … it burns no fossil fuels…it produces no air pollution. What’s more, it cuts down dependency on foreign oil. That’s what the people of Meredith, in upstate New York first thought when a wind developer looked to supplement the rural farm town’s failing economy with a farm of their own — that of 40 industrial wind turbines.”
“Windfall documents how this proposal divides Meredith’s residents as they fight over the future of their community. Attracted at first to the financial incentives that would seemingly boost their dying economy, a group of townspeople grow increasingly alarmed as they discover the impacts that the 400-foot high windmills slated for Meredith could bring to their community as well as the potential for financial scams. With wind development in the United States growing annually at 39 percent, Windfall is an eye-opener that should be required viewing for anyone concerned about the environment and the future of renewable energy.”
The film, which was an official selection at the Toronto Film Festival, shows both the pros and cons of living with turbines — from the noise to the positive environmental impact. However, what it highlights most is how the technology bitterly divides a community.
Granted we haven’t seen the film yet, but from what we gather from the trailer, the major concerns seem to range from inconvenience to landscape changes to damaging the habitat of local wildlife to an enormous noise footprint and power lines running through private properties.
The film will be released Friday, February 3, 2012 at New York’s Quad Cinema, with other cities following shortly after, as well as availability on select VOD platforms. Click here to see if it is showing near you.
+ Windfall Official Website
It’s more than eye-opening. You need to see it before you make your decisions on wind energy for the future of this world.
I have seen this movie. I live in a town also slated for 400 foot wind turbines in an area of great natural beauty… maybe you’ve heard of the Redwood Forest of northern California?
Some people in our town arranged for a showing of this movie. Over 100 people showed up at the Veterans Hall. As the film went on, the whispers amplified each other… “That’s just like here…” “They did that here too…” Wind energy is an awesome idea. Right now, however it’s more than 50% government subsidized and local residents have little to no voice in keeping their rural communities rural… unless they do what the folks in Meridale did, which is – through elections – take over the town council.
The alternative is also shown in the movie, when residents of Tug Hill are interviewed about the shadow flicker, noise, vibration and other effects of living with turbines.
Landowners receive a nearly insulting $5,000 per turbine, while the wind companies receive about $750,000 in subsidies for that turbine. One of the speakers in the film pointed out that is an insult.
But that wee bit of money is enough to turn landowner against his/her neighbors. And of course that “us versus them” attitude is pushed by the wind energy. You’ve either drunk their Koolaid or you haven’t, but in most states, the laws are on the Utility side, even if that Utility is a private, foreign, multinational oil company.
As one resident of Tug Hill said (paraphrase) “If the wind company contracts are that great, why do they all contain a Gag Clause?”
She has a valid point. Too much about this industry is done in secret, by forcing populations to accept things they do not want.
I hope this movie opens a more rational debate than the one I have seen locally where life long environmental supporters are now being branded NIMBYs for working against the greatest rape of the redwoods proposed since PALCO took over Pacific Lumber.