Iowa should build more windmills

I was very disappointed to see the “Gone with the wind” cartoon (by Larry Garman) on a recent editorial page. It implied that windmills in Iowa were ruining our views and irritating people with their “noisy” whirring. This seems out of touch on so many levels.

When our family goes on trips through the Iowa countryside, we look forward to seeing the majestic towers of the windmills. I don't think I've ever heard one make a sound. I'm sure they do make noise if you are right next to them, but who is?

And look at the bigger picture: They create sustainable, clean energy. If they create a little noise, or kill a few birds, it seems a small price to pay for energy that is never going to run out, and creates no pollutants.

Would we rather look at a coal plant? I'm getting really tired of global warming deniers and others who would try to denigrate the wind energy business. Even if you still don't believe in human-based climate change, surely you can understand that coal and oil will one day run out. Sustainable sources of energy are our only hope for the long term.

We should be making permanent the tax breaks that encourage more windmills to be built.

Mike Wyrick

Cedar Rapids