What’s the best way to fight wind turbines? Get sued!
May 30, 2013
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—Calvin Luther Martin, PhD
On September 15, 2004, I fell down the rabbit hole into the make-believe world of “wind energy.” Nine years ago the wind turbine hucksters arrived in Franklin County, NY, oiling their way from townhall to townhall, farmhouse to farmhouse, selling the (palpably absurd) idea of “clean, green, renewable” wind energy. (Just another snake-oil, yet spectacularly lucrative.)
For nine years, I’ve been witness to a colossal corporate scam that flourishes despite all the contrary evidence of physics, clinical medicine, economics, environmentalism—and common sense. Nine years wracking my brain for ways to vanquish it.
We tried publishing Nina’s book, “Wind Turbine Syndrome: A Report on a Natural Experiment,” thinking (not unreasonably) that 300 pages of clinical and scientific evidence would shut it down. We were naive. Zealots driven by dollar bills and the magical thinking of “clean energy” countered with a tsunami of junk science in various junk formats—and, horrifically, it worked. (Never underestimate the ingenuity of corrupt fools, especially the ones with PhD’s.)
I debated the merits of suing wind companies. Nope, that was a non-starter. I pondered the likelihood of convincing local governments to reject these useless grotesqueries marching across the landscape. This had mixed results.
Finally, despite knowing better, I confess I hoped federal governments—browbeaten by the Corporate Green lobby—would get a grip, do the arithmetic, and pull the plug on the massive subsidies.
Meanwhile, the heart-wrenching stories of Wind Turbine Syndrome multiplied. This website is loaded with them. From virtually every continent and both hemispheres. The stories are a carbon copy of one another; the script is identical for all of them. I keep posting them, though I’m not convinced it does much good: How many hundreds of identical stories does it require to stop this nightmare? The answer is becoming increasingly obvious: “Mr. Martin, the number of WTS casualties is irrelevant.”
Then—a breakthrough. A lawsuit. In Ontario, Canada. Triggered by this woman.
Her name is Esther Wrightman. (Remember the name. It’s going down in Canadian history under the heading, “Heroes.”) Esther is to wind energy what Rosa Parks was to the American Civil Rights movement. (Rosa had the common sense and courage to refuse to give up her seat on the bus to a white guy. Rosa understood truth and integrity and fairness—and the American Constitution.)
I’ll go a step further. Esther is to wind energy what Dr. Martin Luther King was to the Civil Rights movement. King became a leader when there was a huge injustice crying out for a leader. He was jailed and reviled for non-violent disobedience. In his now famous letter from the Birmingham jail, King outlined his agenda:
The purpose of our direct action program is to create a situation so crisis-packed that it will inevitably open the door to negotiation. . . . Indeed, this is the very purpose of direct action. . . . It seeks so to dramatize the issue that it can no longer be ignored. . . .My citing the creation of tension as part of the work of the nonviolent resister may sound rather shocking. But I must confess that I am not afraid of the word “tension.” I have earnestly opposed violent tension, but there is a type of constructive, nonviolent tension which is necessary for growth.
Notice the line: “It seeks so to dramatize the issue that it can no longer be ignored!” Enter Esther Wrightman. A mom. A wife who runs the family (plant) nursery.
Esther’s not a lawyer, not a physician, not a PhD. Her credentials are more “grounded” than this. Esther’s someone who can distinguish a purple martin from a swift or a bobolink. (See if a wind company CEO can do the same!) She can also tell a bog orchid from a begonia. With her naturalist’s eye, she’s especially adept at distinguishing corporate fraud, harm, and bullshit from garden-variety common sense and truth.
Esther the gardener has decided it’s time to “weed out” NextEra from rural Ontario. Paraphrasing Martin Luther King, above, Ms. Wrightman has resolved to so dramatize the issue of wind energy “terrorism” that it can no longer be ignored.
“NextEra,” she has publicly and loudly declared, is misnamed. “More truthfully, it is Next Terror!” Brilliant! Succinct. Snappy. And true.
For this, ham-handed NextEra sued her. (Click here for the entire suit.)
Remember the biblical David and Goliath? Bellowing Goliath, reincarnated as a 500′-tall giant industrial wind turbine, has swung round and fixed its bewildered gaze on the mere wisp of a girl standing before it—all 5′, 100 pounds of her.
Perhaps “Joan of Arc” would be a more apt name than “David.”
In her formal reply to NextEra’s legal bullshit, Esther filed the following “intent to defend” with the Ontario Superior Court. (Click here for the entire document).
Through it’s own means, [NextEra] discredited its own business in the ways and means it dealt with the public, and earned the name “NextError” and “NexTerror” through these actions. These include . . . [whereupon follows a long list of evidence].
Whoa! This is unprecedented! Improbable as all hell! And—brilliant.
Ladies and gentlemen, I believe Esther Wrightman has shown us the way forward. The moment of truth: Publicly accuse the wind developers of being terrorists and bullies and liars, and invite them to sue you. Then, make them defend their lies, terrorism, and bullying in court and—best of all—before the media who will stampede you for a juicy story. (Yeah, it helps if you’re a 5′ tall, 100 lb. young mom with zero financial assets.)
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Don’t use a lawyer. Keep it cheap. Let Goliath hire the blue-stocking Toronto law firm with its $500/hour “fee” meter running. (Of course, Goliath writes it all off as a tax credit.)
Go for the jugular: Ask the court for subpoena powers—to get Goliath’s records. Go after emails and other correspondence. Find the government/industry corruption, the sleaze, the broken laws.
Call expert witnesses, including Dr. Pierpont, Dr. Laurie, Dr. Salt, Dr. Hanning, Dr. Nissenbaum, Dr. Swinbanks. And noise engineers: Rick James, Rob Rand, and their counterparts in Australia and the UK and Canada. And professional property assessors, like Mike McCann (Chicago). And wildlife biologists, like Jim Wiegand. I can say with confidence that Dr. Pierpont, at least, would waive her (normally large) “expert witness” fee and testify pro bono. (Her fee is large because of the hundreds of hours required to prepare her testimony. In this instance, she will do it—free.)
In sum: Get sued! Keep it cheap, keep it true, keep it honest. And hammer the sons of bitches in court. Most of all, create a media spectacle—at the wind company’s expense.
And if the court decides against you—you still win the moral argument, and you win zillions of onlookers who are drawn to the huge spotlight you are shining on these terrorists. And when you’re hauled off to prison for a (brief) period of time, because you can’t pay the fine—you win even bigger! Dr. King, Nelson Mandela, Henry David Thoreau—all did jail time to drive home the justice of their cause. (Get used to the idea of wearing an orange jumpsuit for a week or two. Bring along some good books. I recommend Thoreau’s classic essay, “On the Duty of Civil Disobedience.”)
Comment by Mtumba on 06/03/2013 at 2:05 pm
I think you very well may be on to something!
Comment by Itasca Small on 06/03/2013 at 2:13 pm
BRAVO!!!!!!!!!
STUPENDOUS!!!!!!!!!
Sounds quite reasonable to me… I just donned my Thinking Cap! But, have to get some sleep after 25.5 hours awake; will plan to send this to my Fellow Warriors Against Wind Energy here, in Arizona tonight.
Comment by Ella on 06/03/2013 at 2:51 pm
You do not stand alone, Esther! God speed to you!
Comment by Melodie Burkett on 06/03/2013 at 4:12 pm
We will witness history because of you, Esther! I want a front row seat in the court house. We will stand with you and beside you. Where do we send money, honey?
Mel
Comment by Linda on 06/03/2013 at 5:18 pm
Fund Raiser: decal of Dude Urinating on Windmill
Profits to support the Legal Challenge in Support of Esther Fighting the Corporate Bullies at Next-Terror.
The printer of this decal has generously agreed to a special bulk order price for the following decal which normally retails for $5.00 each (Canadian).
Decals are to be sold directly to save on the shipping and handling costs.
If you or your group is interested in purchasing a large quantity of decals to raise funds to fight Next Era, please contact “Linda” for further details at starpen@sympatico.ca
Personal purchase orders can still be obtained here.
Comment by thebiggreenlie on 06/03/2013 at 6:11 pm
This is the first lawsuit by a Wind Scammer against a CITIZEN who is fighting to prevent harm to her children and local wildlife, among all the other things wrong with this massive Green Fraud!
This woman should be the poster girl for anyone who thinks they don’t have a right to protect oneself or their family from harm.
What this company is doing is absolutely criminal. The only reason they get away with crap like this is because our own government supports this type of behaviour.
Once Esther wins this, the next step should be “criminal charges” against all politicians who have granted this foreign company the ability to literally terrorize rural residents across this once “democratic province”!
Does the word “treason” work its way into this appalling issue?
Comment by Linda Salamon on 06/03/2013 at 6:14 pm
Esther, you are my hero!! It is about time Big Wind’s lies are exposed. I am so impressed you are brave enough to declare that the Big Wind Emperor is Wearing No Clothes. People are so afraid of not being PC that they won’t say anything against Wind Power, even if they know there is something fishy going on.
Best of luck to you with your lawsuit, and please let us know if there is anything we can do to help.
Comment by Shellie Correia on 06/03/2013 at 10:21 pm
We are all with you Esther. We will raise funds…raise awareness…and raise hell, until Nexterror understands that we are not to be messed with.
Stand proud, you have your army of wind warriors ready to go into battle with you. The lawyer from CPT said she will give free counsel to people fighting injustice, and she is aware of our situation from the Non-Violent Civil Disobedience workshop last month.
The plan will unfold as it should….I believe this was meant to be. I will keep in touch, and I offer whatever help I can, whenever it is needed.
Shellie
Comment by Liz and Roger on 06/04/2013 at 2:04 am
Thank you, Esther, for daring to speak the truth—publicly. We wish you all the very best with the court action.
And Calvin, please don’t stop putting all those stories of WTS experiences. Whilst it might seem futile at times, I firmly believe it is worthwhile.
Like the constant dripping of water on a stone, it will ultimately have an effect.
Comment by Melodie Burkett on 06/04/2013 at 9:00 am
An orange jumpsuit? Esther, I think you will look marvelous in an orange jumpsuit—size 2! Make sure to get a mani-pedi in the same hue of orange so you will look well coiffed in the picture we print and frame for our Hall of Fame!
We will all call you the flaming orange ball of fire that whopped the pants off Nextera, the terror of rural Ontario families and rural wildlife.
I can’t help but wonder what their next big error will be?
Comment by Bren on 06/04/2013 at 10:58 am
Thousands of us have your back, Esther. Nice women never make history!!! We’ll be there for you as you speak so strongly for all of us.
Comment by Ella on 06/04/2013 at 11:32 am
I want so much to help Ester. Is there any place in the Mission Fish Org. (charity orgs.) on E-bay that I could offer an ‘art ware’ for auction to donate funds to Ester?
Editor’s note: Contact Curt Devlin, in Fairhaven, Mass., and run it by him. He’s coordinating all this. Email curt.devlin@hotmail.com
Comment by Jackie on 06/04/2013 at 11:49 am
Cheers to Esther! Well done Calvin! A flicker at the end of a long tunnel that cannot be extinguished by the blades of a turbine!
I am writing to NextEra & cc’ing my local politicians. Bullying at any level is becoming passé. If we could start an email (snail mail) campaign from thousands of people—maybe their light will fade. Demand a reply. Fill-up their mailboxes! Remember to cc your local Wind Group & politician.
Heck, I even feel like a letter to Obama, telling him to keep his corrupt, bullying, destroying companies on their side of the border.
The bottom line—without the subsidies provided by our government (paid for by all taxpayers), they would not have the funds to sue anyone. There must be a “term” for this kind of foul behavior? I know what an oxy-moron is……
Comment by Segue C on 06/04/2013 at 12:49 pm
For their NEXT ERROR they made a big one!
They gave a righteous cause a lightning rod.
She will bring down TRUTH upon them like a storm and we shall be the hail…
Comment by Vivienne on 06/04/2013 at 3:06 pm
INSPIRING… Good luck Esther and I look forward to hearing of a victory! But if not, I agree you will look great and be recorded for posterity if you have to wear that orange jumpsuit.
xx from SW Wales, UK
P.S. Calvin, thank you for writing this item and please keep us informed.
Comment by thebiggreenlie on 06/04/2013 at 10:54 pm
Well, that didn’t take long. It was on the evening TV station tonight on Sun News and was a 20-minute coverage on all that’s wrong with wind turbines and the wind industry, such as Nextera and their political allies that are ruining our rural communities all in the name of Green Greed!
Nextera should have known better than to come into Canada and try their “bully tactics” on true democratic citizens!
If a Canadian company went into the U.S. to develop its business and began suing U.S. citizens because of their destructive practices, I don’t believe the citizens in the U.S. would be as tolerant as we are up here!
Comment by Linda on 06/04/2013 at 10:58 pm
Oops! Nexterror is getting lots of publicity now. Click here.
Comment by ken brownell on 06/05/2013 at 9:16 am
We need someone to set up a fund, so we can send in donations to help fight all the turbine companies, as I am sure NextEra will get the backing of their other partners in crime.
Comment by Sue on 06/05/2013 at 9:22 am
I don’t like the “boy peeing on the turbine” image, and would not display one. It is offensive.
The image, above, with the queen and the turbine symbolizes a woman: Esther and victory. Give her the glory she deserves rather than stooping to a juvenile message.
Editor’s note: You’re right. I removed it.
I put it up because it’s the image on the decal (bumper sticker) described in “Linda’s” comment. Nevertheless, I agree with you; it’s out of place in this case. Thanks for being more alert than I was.
Comment by Nic on 06/05/2013 at 1:40 pm
Fighting the corrupt politicians and developers behind Big Wind is exhausting. This SLAPP suit (Strategic Lawsuit against Public Participation) will inspire many of us who have grown tired from the fight.
It shows the true colour of companies like Next Terror, and it’s not “green” (at least not the earth-friendly kind of green).
It also shows Esther to be the hero that she is—and now a everyone will know it.
I will spread the word and do everything I can to support you, Esther.
Comment by thebiggreenlie on 06/05/2013 at 9:41 pm
Here’s our Esther on TV tonight giving her views and background on this horrendous attack on her and OUR Freedom of Speech!
Comment by Linda on 06/05/2013 at 11:12 pm
Esther speaks (click here).
Comment by Linda on 06/05/2013 at 11:31 pm
Re. the decal: I apologize if the decal was offensive to some.
Expression through art and various media doesn’t always please or need to bring consensus of opinion, and for that I do not offer any apology. The intent for the decal was to provoke a reaction and discussion, so it has served its purpose. I respect if that message needs to be filtered in this forum.
It is being displayed on numerous bumpers already, as a response to having wind projects forced upon our communities.
Wind turbines are equally visually offensive to many eyes. Worse are the very real adverse impacts to health from their operations.
Comment by George Papadopoulos on 06/06/2013 at 7:13 am
Esther, congratulations for your bravery. You are another Esther like that of the ancient biblical story—saving a rural people from ruthlessness and brutality of powerful but fibbing idiots who pride themselves in the degree of their influence over government.
Comment by mtumba on 06/06/2013 at 2:58 pm
I respectfully disagree with your removal of the boy peeing on the windmill. Of course it’s offensive! That’s the intent.
Windmills are offensive. Nay—they are more than that. They are obscene. There is no redeeming social merit to destroying nature, destroying wildlife habitat, destroying birds, destroying viewscapes, destroying cultural heritage, destroying human and animal health—in short, destroying Mother Earth, Gaiam, life and lives.
In my opinion, the boy peeing on the windmill isn’t offensive enough. He seems to be peeing at the base of the wind turbine. I think he should be peeing all over it.
But, since we are now criticizing art rather than turbines, I do think his smirk is potentially misleading. The smirk implies he’s doing something wrong and is a little trouble-maker. I’m no artist, but I think a better image would be one of smug contempt toward the turbine.
Turbines are appropriately addressed with obscenities and vilification.
Thus far the quiet, polite, meek efforts of good, civil people in an attempt to address the obscenity of Big Wind has led to one failure after another.
We are LOSING this war, friends.
Comment by genie81 on 06/06/2013 at 7:22 pm
We all need women like Esther. Here in Australia we have Dr. Laurie and others, including people who are ordinary housewives who are disgusted with the dirty tactics of the wind industry.
Infigen energy is running a contest for children with a prize of a visit to a wind complex. At the official opening of the Macarthur Wind Complex, when the luncheon and invited guests had mostly left, a busload of school-children was driven in to the site. Really, how low can they go?
I agree that Esther’s tactics are very clever and hopefully she wins.
Comment by Vanessa Mills Holmquist on 06/07/2013 at 11:24 am
Esther Wrightman is a heroine. I hope she stands tall and I hope Ontarians stand strong with her. Big Wind and the corporate culture of overpowering and bullying and of laying waste and of exploitation needs to be stopped. It is not sustainable. When someone stands up in the face of the great farce that is Big Wind, rally around them! We stood for the Taconics here against investors/corporate welfare scavengers Reunion Power/Nordex.
As was proved directly here in our situation (and it’s the pattern the world over) the Big Wind playbook is one of deception and vulturous, parasitic opportunism. Raise up Esther Wrightman, who is merely trying to protect her own, against a villanous giant. The playing field is stacked, with developers who profit by bulldozing citizens. And with hired/bought stiffs who are paid big money to keep the gate and create the spin and churn out the propaganda. And with highly-paid, high-powered lobbyists to run interference. And laws and policies are often developer-centric and governments and their agencies are often in bed with the corporations; when really, the citizens and their primary (often sole) asset (being home/land/ property rights and qualitiy-of-life) should be better protected. What would any ONE individual do, when faced with the hardcore reality of protecting themselves and their own?! What would you do when backed to the wall on this?! I know what I’d do.
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Respect. Gratitude. Support. Esther Wrightman, you have this from so many, the world over. Vermont has seen the injustices of Corporate Wind here in our small state. Installations of corporate-scale wind power are destroying intact carbon sinks, destroying upland & lowland watersheds, affecting water quality and fragmenting wildlife corridors, killing raptors and other birds, obliterating the struggling bat populations who control mosquitos, upsetting many ecosystem balances (which will ripple out & out in unforeseen and disastrous ways for humans).
It does NOT affect carbon emmissions for the better! In our state, the renewable energy credits scam allows renewable power to be overpriced and then the corporations can (at least!) double- dip and sell the credits, allowing for other areas/regions/states to “claim” the credits bought AND continue CO2 emissions as usual! IT’S A RACKET! WIND POWER is a SCAM of EPIC and GRIEVOUSLY CRIMINAL PROPORTIONS! Without taxpayer subsidies/PTCs to keep it propped up, Big Wind cannot stand on its own! Never mind this if you can. And property rights, property values and local tax bases and individuals’ quality of life are severely impacted. Here in VT, those who live near the trubines are suffering these very real impacts as well as reporting turbine noise-related illnesses.
We cannot afford to give dollars to these giant sized shysters. We cannot afford to give our power (our voices and our possibilities) away! We cannot afford to be divided in our communities—as Big Wind strives hard to divide us, here in VT.
The world should be working hard at reducing together, simplifying, building up locally-controlled energy and local food movements in order to bolster local economies and save shipping costs/CO2s! As well as maintaining water quality and our carbon-absorbing forests and the environmental balance harbored therein. These are ways to begin a progression toward resilience and a hopeful, healthy, reslilient future for humankind on earth.
Thank you, Esther, for your stand! Hold this line! More and more people are understanding the truth. This is to be the tipping point! We are reaching critical mass.
SPEAK TRUTH TO POWER! POWER TO THE PEOPLE!
Vanessa Mills Holmquist
Pittsford, Vermont
USA
Comment by Jim Wiegand on 06/12/2013 at 3:23 pm
Another way to fight this industry is to enforce laws already on the books for any wind industry or FWS representative that attempts to defraud communities with bogus information. It is long overdue for some accountability.
For example let’s look at the “incidental take permit”. If a permit is given allowing for one eagle then 50 could die because there is no oversight and they won’t tell you about the other 49, just like they haven’t told the world about all the eagles this industry has slaughtered in Texas. But even if by some great stretch that these folks were to be honest, if one dead eagle is found then many others have died because they never come close to finding them all. At Altamont 10.8 eagles were found dead but the death toll estimates were 75-116 eagles every year. So if any FWS or industry employees do not disclose that many more eagles will die than what the permit is for………cuff ’em because they will be lying to you.
If population estimates are given get second opinions because I have not seen an accurate one yet. If any industry or FWS representative claims these turbines “may kill”, slap the hand cuffs on them because these turbines Kill EVERY FLYING SPECIES that uses the same habitat. They have been picking up bodies under turbines for decades and know this to be true. It is time to make them pay for their lies and the silent fraud.
Comment by Mrs. Valerie C. Malicki, MA, LPCC on 05/29/2014 at 12:42 pm
Hello friends! This website has been incredibly inspirational as I am beginning this journey to protect my quality of life at my beautiful home in Greenwich, OH.
Thank you!
Comment by Mrs. Valerie C. Malicki, MA, LPCC on 05/29/2014 at 12:49 pm
If there’s anything specific that others think would be helpful for me to know here in the USA, please email me at valeriechristina@rocketmail.com
Blessings,
Valerie 🙂