Pearl Harbor solar array has opposition

[Rob Tucker]

From the L.A. Times.

Seems that placing a solar array on Ford Island is disrespectful of the lives lost there where Pearl Harbor was attacked.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/...5865.story

[terracore]

Absolutely ironic. The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor to retaliate against what they thought was US efforts to block their fair access to oil. Fast forward about 3/4 a century and the handful of survivors who are left want to block US access to energy independence. But the thing that surprises me is that I spent a week working on Ford Island and there is plenty of empty spaces to accommodate a project like this without effecting any of the monuments. In fact I would see a project like this as a fitting testament. So many wars fought over energy and when our military tries to become energy independent people protest against it.

[pahoated]

It's not just this example. There is a growing anti-solar power movement developing as well. Sierra Club and Green Peace started out as environmental advocates but they have devolved into just being obstructionist, appearing more and more like neoluddites. Interesting thing about this developing group of people, they are generally against everything except more children. This planet passed 7 billion a year ago and will be 9 billion in a few years. There are 1.4 billion Chinese that had virtually zero cars 20 years ago. Now, there are hundreds of millions of cars, making China the single largest car market on the planet. As more people start raising themselves into middle class, from abject poverty, they will believe in conservation but the reality is they will use more and more of everything, energy, minerals, vegetation, fresh water, and so on. You can't have your cake and eat it, too. Interesting how these neo-NIMBY's are more and more senior citizens. This is one example, snow birds traveling to Arizona with their $100,000 RV's, getting less than 10 miles per gallon, clogging highways and they don't want solar panels in the desert, destroying the environment. The hypocrisy is laughable.

http://wwwp.dailyclimate.org/tdc-newsroo...n-nimbyism
The new look of NIMBYism

http://www.standard.net/stories/2012/06/...ppose-them
Environmentalists who backed solar farms now oppose them

http://www.forbes.com/sites/toddwoody/20...r-project/
Sierra Club, NRDC Sue Feds To Stop Big California Solar Power Project

http://seattletimes.com/html/businesstec...lar26.html
Mojave solar-power project sacrifices the desert for the Earth

[Royall]

Just too many people, with too much time on their hands, with nothing better to do. So sad to see the cost of any project (whether eco friendly or not) go sky high do to superfluous litigation. Add too many lawyers looking for a fast buck to that list to.

Royall

Hale O Na Mea Pa`ani

[Obie]

To the last remaining patriots who lived and died there,this is sacred ground.

Why not put a solar array at Ground Zero ?

Lets rip out the memorial park at the World Trade Center site and put PV there !

[DickWilson]

OK, so lets hear directly from a survivor what their objection is and why. Otherwise It's just someones opinion and we all know what opinions are like.

dick wilson
"Nothing is idiot proof,because idiots are so ingenious!"

[Obie]

Dick,

I think that was covered in Rob's original post.

Here is a quote from that link;

"It's absurd, absolutely absurd," said Mal Middlesworth, 90, of Upland, a member of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Assn., who as an 18-year-old Marine watched the attack from the decks of the San Francisco, a heavy cruiser. "Ford Island is one of the most sacred areas of the Pacific Theater. It's a national shrine. I don't understand the Navy."

[DickWilson]

OK, So lets see, friends of mine were killed at Bien Hoa, So this is now sacred ground and nothing is allowed there but a memorial. Ya, try that one one the government of Vietnam. This is not some private venture, this is the U.S. Navy trying to make our military less dependent on imported oil. If we place off limits everywhere US military have died in service to their country, there will be precious little land available. Place a memorial, rhen get on with life.

dick wilson
"Nothing is idiot proof,because idiots are so ingenious!"

[Obie]

The entire island was named a National Historic Landmark in 1964.

[DickWilson]

So its a landmark, the solar panels hurt what?

dick wilson
"Nothing is idiot proof,because idiots are so ingenious!"