Oddly, the town of Woodland, North Carolina recently voted to reject the construction of a solar farm in the area, because residents were afraid of the potential consequences. Some residents showed up to town meetings insisting that not enough was known about solar technology and that solar panels could lead to numerous problems, including the potential draining of the sun.
One retired teacher who should have known better arrived at the meeting and suggested that having solar panels in the area could prevent plants from growing, because there would be less sun energy for photosynthesis. She said that areas that were near solar panels were not as green as other areas because the plants were getting less sunlight. Going on, she blamed solar panels for increased levels of cancer in the region.
“I want to know what’s going to happen, I want information. Enough is enough. I don’t see the profit for the town. People come with hidden agendas. Until we can find if anything is going to damage this community, we shouldn’t sign any paper,” she said, according to the Roanoke Herald.
Another resident argued that that panels would suck up all the energy from the sun and prevent businesses from developing in the area.
“You’re killing your town. All the young people are going to move out,” he added.
Representatives from the solar company Strata were present to defend against the accusations, saying that the technology was clean and effective.
“There are no negative impacts, a solar farm is a wonderful use for a property like this,” executive Beth Trahos said, adding that there would not be a negative impact on property values either.
“The panels don’t draw additional sunlight. There are no toxic materials on site. This is a tried and true technology,” Brent Niemann, another representative said.
As we have been reporting recently, solar energy is on pace to become the dominant form of energy on the planet. Many experts have predicted that this shift will be occurring in the next few years, as solar technology becomes cheaper and more available to the average person.
According to a recent estimate released by the International Energy Agency, solar will be the world’s primary source of energy by 2050.
This is good news, but that number may seem far off to some people, considering that solar energy currently represents less than 1% of the energy market.
However, a new Deutsche Bank report suggests that this shift may come sooner than expected.
According to the report, which was published earlier this week, solar electricity is on track to be as cheap or cheaper than average electricity-bill prices in 47 U.S. states by the year 2016.
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John Vibes is an author and researcher who organizes a number of large events including the Free Your Mind Conference. He also has a publishing company where he offers a censorship free platform for both fiction and non-fiction writers. You can contact him and stay connected to his work at his Facebook page. You can purchase his books, or get your own book published at his website www.JohnVibes.com.
