I have seen an alarming trend among the green news stories lately. People who are trying to better our world by going green are getting sued and/or penalized for their efforts.
A few days ago I was reading about a North Carolina man who drives a diesel car powered by 100% vegetable oil. His veggie oil bumper sticker caught the attention of local law enforcement and he was fined $1000 for not paying motor fuel taxes. You see about 30 cents of your gasoline dollars go toward fuel taxes and when you get a little creative by switching to an alternative fuel and don’t need to buy gas anymore…well you can get into a whole mess of trouble. Never mind the fact that this North Carolina man was buying the veggie oil and paying taxes on it. It looks like he will get hit with another fine from the feds in the same amount and he has to pay a $2500 bond in order to keep using vegetable oil to power his car.
Then today I was reading about Michael Mercutio, a man that cut his $340 dollar a month electric and gas bill down to an incredible $114 a year! This miraculous feat was accomplished by installing a 35 foot wind turbine in his backyard….a project that he did get a permit for. Well, his neighbors are now suing him because they think the turbine is big and unsightly and also makes noise. They claim they are all for wind power…just not anywhere near their homes. WTH?
I can honestly say I would be thrilled if one or more of my neighbors decided to get a wind turbine. I would love to have one myself. What is wrong with these people?!
It reminded me that just the other day as I was driving through Champaign county Ohio I kept seeing bright yellow signs that said “No Wind 
Turbines”. I was confused about why they were there so I came home and did a bit of research and found that Champaign and Logan counties in Ohio are proposed sites for wind farms. I think that is an awesome development but I guess residents think wind turbines are ugly and are sure to devalue their properties.
I really can’t understand it. I have driven a hundred times past the wind farms in California and I think they are beautiful. I was always mesmerized by them and of course I love what they represent…clean energy.
And I am sorry but if Mr. Mercutio’s neighbors want to sue him for using clean energy and living frugally with a wind turbine then they should have to pay his energy bills from now on.
A word of caution for anyone progressive and environmentally responsible…you might find yourself in court!
Recent Comments