[joebergeron]

1. Very funny to be reading this. I grew up in Falmouth, and lived there until 2014 when I graduated highschool. I obviously wasn't incredibly attuned to this issue, but as I recall, the only people opposed to the installation of the turbines were a very small, very vocal, and very, very, wealthy minority of people who owned mind-bogglingly expensive beach houses and lived there two months out of the year. I'm fairly certain a lot of the more reasonable-sounding complaints they threw at the project were simply cover-up for their real gripe, that the turbines ruined their view over the bay. I recall an unintentionally hilarious piece of mockup art that was drafted up, comparing the horizon over the water with and without turbines, side by side. They were barely distinguishable blips. It was an interesting phenomenon. Woods Hole, a tiny community on what is essentially a peninsula near Falmouth, is both a center for oceanographic science (WHOI, USGS -- disclaimer, I've worked at both), and a summer home for the insanely rich. The scientific community was largely in support of the turbines, but all anyone ever heard about was how the turbines would be a huge disaster. As I recall, many of the noise complaints ended up being somewhat unfounded.

[dustym]

I have no opinion on anything, FWIW because I actually spent most of my time in Woods Hole. My recollection of all this is from the local paper.

EDIT:

Cliche as it as, the fish bites at Landfall are pretty good! And it was always fun to swing by the aquarium after hours and listen to the seals bumping around in their pool. It's a beautiful place to visit if you ever get a chance.

[1propionyl]

In truth, the real reason for the disparity in perception is... supernatural in origin.

You see... it's the Curse of Chappaquidick. The sound isn't just the breeze passing through turbines. It's the wailing of the immortal soul of Mary Jo Kopechne, her soul mercifully freed from the watery depths but bound to the wind.

Her soul, unable to find rest so long as the negligent and wealthy haunt her resting place, now eternally floats upon the wind... from Chappaquidick into the Vineyard Sound... across Penzance Point... into the Bay, and back out to sea.

But her spirit is not unkind or unfair. She has no discontent for teachers, scientists, artists, or sailors. They cannot hear her. They say... that only the truly wealthy can hear her cries.

[anonu]

One of the stranger things I've read on HN.

[derivagral]

If someone's grown up in the (eastern part?) of the state, the not-very-veiled subtext is quite entertaining with the typical HN cynical bit flipped on.

[dustym]

I agree. This is very weird but also a very subtle and good comment.

[chillingeffect]

Cape-affiliated person here. Currently dealing with multiple issues. There is a powerful coterie of real estate agents, lawyers and regional government members here. The environment is invoked like a playing card to create battles of financial starvation and just as easily overlooked when it would interfere with players' plans. One must be very aware of neighbors' affiliations. It's all sport for the 1%, but families who inherited their parents' properties struggle to hang on to them.