What would your guess be, regarding Cuttyhunk residents, about the following: % in favor as is, % opposed as is, % who would be in favor with the adjustments you recommend? I’d be interested to know what you think about this, and specifically what the adjustments would be. Thanks.

Yes, Stewart is a fearless and indefatigable thinker.
And thanks to you for sharing your wind thoughts and that wonderfully thoughtful Op-Ed as well.

A note of thanks, for your blog that got me to read Stewart Brand’s new book. It was like reconnecting with an old friend, and finding that he is as feisty, provocative, and engaged as I remembered. The guy knows how to stretch a thinking cap and keep a true believer on his toes.

As for wind, well blow me down. We live opposite each other at the windy ends of the state, and here in the Berkshires the debate over the land-based version of what you islanders are going through is also intense. These days it usually ratchets up with any movement on pending legislation called the Wind Energy Siting Reform Act. I weighed in last summer with an OpEd in theGlobe, published in a pro/con format, which you can read here, by scrolling down to two articles, mine titled A Sacrifice Worth Making, and my opponent’s, titled Turbines a Costly Blight:

http://search.boston.com/local/Search.do?s.sm.query=wind+power&s.author=&s.si%28simplesearchinput%29.sortBy=&docType=&s.collections=bostonGlobe%3A&date=&s.startDate=2009-07-13&s.endDate=2009-07-13

I wish I shared your confidence in dialogue, but I’m wary of the zest for scoring points at the expense of all reason. Wary and weary. Like the thinking, don’t like the fighting.Then again, it was ever thus, so we lace up and go back out there.

Thanks for helping keep the faith,

Peter Murkett

Thank you for such a helpful post. The winds of change are subtler and more powerful than we know. And they cannot be kept back. Turbines will blanket the horizon. The alternative is simply not imaginable.

It is not a question of if, but of when. And if we would like to accelerate the process in North America, something like a universal military draft might be an interesting catalyst.