Are people really scared of solar panels? Or why questioning and empathy matter.

[HuckleB]

http://doubtfulnews.com/2015/12/are-people-really-this-dumb-to-be-scared-of-solar-panels/

"...


That’s only two commentators, possibly from the same household. It’s obvious they don’t like the idea and are exhibiting some genuine fear and uncertainty. The industry reps attempted to assure them but that will probably not work at all since their opposition is deep and complicated, read on.

The original source is here at the Roanoke-Chowan News Herald. The Town Council rejected a proposal by the Planning Board to rezone a section of land off U.S. highway 258 from residential/agricultural use to manufacturing use, “essentially denying approval of a solar farm.” Several council members voted for the rejection but one voted against it. (Sorry about the double negatives in use here, but that’s how it went down.) The details of the story reveal that the town may simply be fed up with being overrun by solar farms. Three other solar farms have already been accepted by the town council, with one currently under construction. The council eventually voted for a complete moratorium on solar farms.

The rest of the comments show additional reasons why the citizens aren’t keen on allowing more solar farms. They fear it is lowering their property values, that people are moving away because this industry is not providing additional jobs or bringing in money for the town. And, yes, they don’t trust the government. Not surprising. They are concerned that the panels may be health hazards probably because of misinformation and fear of the unknown. They are looking for direct answers to why their neighbors are dying of cancer, an extremely complicated question, for sure. The comments about blocking out the sun and sucking up the sun’s energy may have been metaphors, or concerns that former growing space is being overrun with giant panels that grow nothing and look ugly to the neighbors.

From the articles, it does NOT appear that the WHOLE town came out to exhibit their basic misunderstanding about solar energy! They are genuinely not happy with the proposed use of the town land. This scenario is VERY COMMON at any town council meeting. Some residents are displeased that things are changing in a way they perceive is not to their advantage. Therefore, in a public forum, they will make heated, emotional, and sometimes rather absurd claims in order to bolster their position. Their uncertainty comes out as comments that can sound quite odd when quoted.

..."

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In other words, this Internet sensation was click bait silliness, and much worse than the silly comments of two of the townspeople. Confirmation bias rears its ugly head, again.

[Wilms]

1. Damn right, you are.

It was a bit disappointing.

[hobbit709]

2. And when no one questions the lunatic statements at the meeting?

then they are tacitly going along with it.

[HuckleB]

4. Oh, FFS.

First, how do you know they weren't questioned. Secondly, every community has conspiracy theorists. Sometimes you have to just let them be. You're not going to change them.

[hobbit709]

5. And sometimes you have to tell someone they're full of shit. Otherwise it only encourages them.

[HuckleB]

6. And sometimes telling them that only leads to them doubling down.

The click bait articles on this piece were not accurate portrayals of the town. Period.

[hobbit709]

7. Are you including the local paper report as click bait?

And I learned a long time ago if you don't tell idiots that they are idiots they will continue to be idiots around you.
They may still be idiots elsewhere but they don't do it around me.

[alarimer]

3. No, I think there are real issues with those installations.

Maybe those were poorly addressed and maybe some of the concerns were silly, but those panels take up lots of space that is then unable to be used for anything else. They don't provide a lot of jobs after installation and there are hazardous issues in the event of a fire, for instance.

The teacher was correct (even if she stated it badly) that they do block the sun from the plants in the immediate vicinity of the panels (like right underneath) and so they die.

Personally, I don't understand why solar panels aren't installed on rooftops or tops of parking garages, or similar, rather than taking of valuable farmland or habitats.

[TreasonousBastard]

8. Well, there are, but...

sometimes people seem to be more fed up than anything else.

http://www.roanoke-chowannewsherald.com/2015/12/08/woodland-rejects-solar-farm/

The council voted against it, even though there are three more solar farms in the area. While some town residents obviously don't have a clue, more of them seem to be against the idea because the town itself gets nothing from them-- no jobs, no revenue, and their electric bills wouldn't even get lowered since all the generated juice goes straight to the grid and not locally distributed.

Comments like the guy talking about the panels using the sunlight just can't be passed up by anyone covering the story.

[kcr]

9. This town isn't on the grid?

It's not common for towns to have their own little self contained power sources. Their bills might not immediately go down but having some of the planet left over for future generations of the town is certainly a benefit. Saying no to that is foolish.

[TreasonousBastard]

10. Apparently, the grid is big enough that...

the town's part of it is too small to show any savings.

Yes, it is foolish in the long run, but they seem just fed up at being asked to do things that don't benefit them. That may sound self-centered and even a little greedy, NIMBY for sure, but we spend a of time on this site talking about big guys pushing little guys around, and this looks like more of that.