GIVEN THAT THE MOST POTENT news is "disruption of the status quo," it is not

surprising that people generally will fight against change with any means at their disposal, including half-truths and mythical falsehoods.

Such is the oft-heard opposition to wind turbines, and some opponents of rezoning for them in Amaranth appear to have picked up on allegations from elsewhere that are patently false.

One such myth is that the turbines would significantly imperil birds. In fact, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife authority commissioned studies over a period of several years, perhaps because of raptor deaths at the 5,400-turbine Altamont Pass installation in California.

The result? There were fewer than 200 bird deaths at about 7,500 turbines over a two-yearplus period elsewhere. The study included 133 turbines in Quebec's Gaspe Peninsula, and found zero deaths over two migration seasons. Other studies found that glass windows kill between 100 million and 900 million birds yearly. A synopsis of available studies shows 55 per cent of human-related bird deaths are from windows, 10% from housecats, and less than 0.01% from turbines.

Opponents of turbines cite a lowering of property values. In fact, a U.S. government-commissioned study found the opposite to be true in most cases. The study is based on a complicated statistical model which identifies changes of property values within and without a five-mile "view shed" before and after project completions. In no case

did property values decline within the radius. In most cases, values within rose more quickly than those outside. "Two wind projects found that over the study period of January 1996 to October 2002, the rate of change in average view shed sales prices were 18 per cent greater than the rate of change in the comparable community."

A recent letter to Amaranth council notes that wind farms have not reduced the need for nuclearor coal-fired generating plants. True. But the development is in its infancy in Canada, and the provincial government is looking to wind and water to lessen the need for imports and new thermal plants. Denmark, a leader in the field, derives 18 per cent of its electricity from wind turbines.

The same letter states that "all wind farms in the U.S. have gone under and failed." It might be true that smaller co-ops have struggled to complete their projects, but it is untrue that wind farms, once constructed, have failed. In fact, wind generation has grown by 26 per cent in the U.S. in the past five years. It's growing worldwide.

Wind farms broaden the tax base, and are a source of revenue for municipalities. They might even be the salvation of family farms under the constant and continuing threat of BSE-related disruptions in addition to weather-related problems in the face of climate change.

Opponents of turbines are entitled to their subjective opinions. Whether or not Melancthon 2 wins Amaranth's approval should be based on facts, not hearsay or "NIMBYism."