Source 10: West Butte wind project

Call to action:  West Butte wind project (buildbabybuild.net, 2/6/09, Near Bend, Oregon)

Summary:

This is a blog from a community member that argues in favor of the development of a wind farm near Bend, Oregon that could power up to 50,000 homes.

Topic:

Should the Obama administration allocate large amounts of money ($150 billion) in this time of economic crisis to alternative energy sources?

Category:

Citizen- stakeholder

What is it?

This is a blog from buildbabybuild.net

Title:

Call to action:  West Butte wind project

Publication information:

buildbabybuild.net, 2/6/09, Near Bend, Oregon

Author:

Stephanie Hicks

Location:

http://www.buildbabybuild.net/blog/west-butte-wind-project/

Accessed:

2/11/09

Support:

3E Strategies

Stephanie Hicks, author of blog

There is a video produced by 3E Strategies, a supporter of the project, that tells ordinary people how they can get involved in their community to promote alternative energy sources.  The author tells us about what she thinks the impact of this project will be on her community.

Audience and Agenda:

Build baby build is a website  dedicated to organizing support for community-based, wind energy projects.  It is a grassroots effort to build towards a cleaner, more sustainable future.  It was launched by Smith Energy, a Cambridge, MA-based developer of wind, solar, and energy storage projects.  It is aimed at anyone who wants to promote alternative energy projects in their communities.

Usefulness:

The website was created to encourage  people to get involved in alternative energy projects in their community.  The document is meant to inform people of the benefits of the West Butte wind project.  The author wants people to get involved in the process of bringing this project to fruition.  She gives many statistics, but does not state a source for them.  She does include one argument against the project, but then rationalizes against it.  It is only a side note and she downplays the effects that the wind turbines could have on the habitat of one specific bird.  She fails to state other, more valid arguments against wind energy such as the loud noise and vibrations caused by the turbines and the amount of land the wind farms occupy.

Works Cited:

About BuildBabyBuild.net and its authors

http://www.buildbabybuild.net/blog/about/

More about the  West Butte Wind Project

http://www.peachygreen.com/renewable-energy/central-oregon-wind-farm-generating-controversy

An article about the launch of BuildBabyBuild.net

http://www.xconomy.com/boston/2009/01/28/renewable-energy-blog-launches/

about Smith Energy

http://smithenergyco.com/