"The pen is mightier than the sword." How many times have I been warned that words have power? When I first contemplated the above subject, the immediate wind power that came to mind was the title of Jeffery Simpson's book "Hot Air". Simpson goes into detail on the promises made by politicians of every stripe over the past 20 or so years about proposed actions to contain global warming. Certainly the words have had political power in that people actually believed that their leaders were sincere and really intended to take action. It may have influenced people to vote for certain parties. Without any apparent action taking place on the ground, emissions accelerated, CO2 content in the atmosphere increased dramatically, polar and glacial ice melted and the dangers of increased global warming moved relentlessly forward, unabated. Mother Nature did not recognize that words spoken indicated action.

There is no denying the massive power of winds. Every news cast brings vivid pictures of devastation by tornados, into our living rooms. Anyone operating a sail boat will attest to the energy available if the sails are manipulated properly. And the world is awakening to the possibility of utilizing that energy for generating electricity, hence reducing our reliance on fossil fuels. I encountered a long line of coastal wind-mills on a trip to Holland 30 years ago. Denmark is encouraging its agricultural industry to enter the power business by selling wind and biomass-based electricity to utilities at prices set by government. Most European governments have recognized the potential of wind-power as one alternative energy source in meeting national targets of reduced dependence on costly importation of oil.

In State of the World 2008, Christopher Flavin (Building a Low Carbon Economy) noted "that resource availability will not be a limiting factor as the world seeks to replace fossil fuels." "In the case of wind power, the Pacific Northwest Laboratory found that the land-based wind resources of Kansas, North Dakota and Texas could meet all the nation's electricity needs." It is interesting to note that the annual production of wind turbines doubles every 3 years and wind is already competitive with natural gas-fired power in the U.S.

It is encouraging to drive west of Shelburne through farm lands with lines of wind mills. Though not a large area this is an indication that Ontario is moving in the direction of alternative energy sources. On a much broader scale, an article in the Globe and Mail, May 6th reported on a major development in Quebec. "Premier Jean Charest yesterday approved 15 bids for $5.5 billion in projects that would provide over 2000 megawatts by 2015. The wind projects would provide enough power to heat and light 320,000 Quebec homes." "The public utility plans to sell wind power into the province's energy grid to boost exports to Ontario and the United States". Exports are expected to provide an extra $l.1 billion to the provincial budget.

Wind-mills represent a controversial development in the populated rural countryside in southern Ontario. Nevertheless I would be very surprised if wind farms didn't become a normal feature as one drives through country roads over the next few years.

Similarly I would expect wind-power to become a more significant development for northern Ontario. High elevation, windy locations along the Lake Superior coast, as well as off shore sites, could provide for promising development in the field of renewable alternative energy for the province as a whole. Controversial elements such as constant noise and unnatural landscapes would find a minimum of opposition in largely uninhabited rocky hills west and north of Highway 17.

Despite transmission losses such new sources of electrical generation could help alleviate the energy shortage for the industrial south as well as encouraging industrial development in the north. Distances from Labrador to the golden triangle are similar to those from Wawa to Sault Ste Marie (and on to U.S markets in Michigan and south western Ontario.) If Quebec can benefit from developing such new energy sources it appears logical that Ontario could do likewise.