{"id":396433,"date":"2025-08-20T10:48:31","date_gmt":"2025-08-20T08:48:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=396433"},"modified":"2025-08-20T10:48:32","modified_gmt":"2025-08-20T08:48:32","slug":"good-questions-can-stop-bad-projects","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=396433","title":{"rendered":"Good questions can stop bad projects"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From CFACT<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By David Wojick<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

If you want to speak out against a bad project at a public meeting, consider asking a hard question instead of stating an objection. Objections call for no immediate action except perhaps a cursory \u201cthank you, we will think about that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A hard question calls for an answer there and then. It also conveys an objection, but the point is to force the officials to say something specific in reply. Of course, there are ways to duck hard questions, but then they have done that publicly for all to see.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By way of example, below are some hard questions that raise serious issues with wind, solar, and battery projects. Along the way, I also discuss how to present these questions. But these are just suggestions, as every case depends on the local situation. These examples are mostly intended for meetings with elected officials who have to approve the projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let us start with grid scale batteries. Wind and solar development has recently been constrained to some degree, but batteries are going great guns. These are 40 foot long, container-sized chemical energy storage units that often come in groups. That these huge batteries can spontaneously ignite or explode is well known. So the first thing to ask about is the evacuation plan, which should include all of the units going up at once.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example: \u201cWho is subject to evacuation under the evacuation plan?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do not just ask if there is a plan, because a simple \u201cyes\u201d ends the conversation. The point to press is that people have a right to know if they should be ready to evacuate. Of course, if there is no plan, this question raises that issue, but it does more than that. This question makes it personal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the case of wind towers, there is also a personal question that can be raised. Wind projects involve multiple towers that can be seen over a large area, in some cases many miles away. In closer, they can dominate the view.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These industrial views tend to lower property values, so there is this question: \u201cWill you cut the property tax assessments where these wind towers cause property values to go down?\u201d If they say \u201cno,\u201d ask \u201cwhy not?\u201d If they say \u201cyes,\u201d ask \u201chow much?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is a two-step question and many are like that. In general, you need to prepare follow-up questions for the various likely answers to the initial question. The idea is to force a conversation about a big downside of the project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Solar projects may not have the big local impact that battery fires and 500 foot wind towers can have, but there is the obvious downside of intermittency. This suggests the following question:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe already have the electricity we need, and if we need more it is around the clock, so why are we paying for solar?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This question is designed to create a lengthy discussion. If the proposed answer is that state law requires more renewables, it still does not require this project. The same question can be used for wind and battery projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Note that this question begins with some facts. This may often be necessary, but they should be kept to a hard-hitting minimum. The more you say, the easier it will be for the response to talk about the facts instead of the question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those are the examples. There are lots of ways to do this depending on the situation. The point is to take a really bad feature of the proposed project and force a conversation by asking a simple hard question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is an art to designing hard questions. It is important to know what the respondent\u2019s official duties are so the question can address them. Don\u2019t make a speech, but laying out the bad facts is also important so someone else doing that could come before the hard question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Be firm but not angry.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you want to speak out against a bad project at a public meeting, consider asking a hard question instead of stating an objection. Objections call for no immediate action except perhaps a cursory \u201cthank you, we will think about that.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":121246920,"featured_media":396437,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","_crdt_document":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[691837402,691819094,691821749],"class_list":{"0":"post-396433","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"hentry","7":"category-uncategorized","8":"tag-battery-projects","9":"tag-renewable-green-energy","10":"tag-wind-and-solar-projects","12":"fallback-thumbnail"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/0AQOVQ6zLDLj3_0ioNVs4VVJDWwghysfU-0geJDLvzcApU7_pRGfOM66Bu9Viwt5pcH5uHPEKqcmYnMFitEBtWZS6yBqVTii84AeZt89qpYVE3XRPYy9ZTNy5MGRsVCzWMCsB0tgWu_QQZ145DiuN6IOy-3FrMQ-1.jpeg?fit=1280%2C1280&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/paxLW1-1F85","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":349717,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=349717","url_meta":{"origin":396433,"position":0},"title":"Big Green projects hoisted by their own petards","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"01\/11\/2024","format":false,"excerpt":"For decades environmentalists raised questionable, but often successful, objections to block mines, pipelines, nuclear power, and oil and gas operations. Now, as Shakespeare\u2019s Hamlet might say, they are \u201choisted by their own petards,\u201d referring to a small explosive device used in siege warfare.","rel":"","context":"In \"battery energy storage facility\"","block_context":{"text":"battery energy storage facility","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=battery-energy-storage-facility"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/image.png?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/image.png?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/image.png?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/image.png?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":350402,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=350402","url_meta":{"origin":396433,"position":1},"title":"Big Green Projects Hoisted By Their Own Petards","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"07\/11\/2024","format":false,"excerpt":"For decades environmentalists raised questionable, but often successful, objections to block mines, pipelines, nuclear power, and oil and gas operations. Now, as Shakespeare\u2019s Hamlet might say, they are \u201choisted by their own petards,\u201d referring to a small explosive device used in siege warfare.","rel":"","context":"In \"Atlantic Shores North and South (NJ)\"","block_context":{"text":"Atlantic Shores North and South (NJ)","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=atlantic-shores-north-and-south-nj"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/0Screen-Shot-2020-01-31-at-10.58.31-AM.png?fit=1200%2C658&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/0Screen-Shot-2020-01-31-at-10.58.31-AM.png?fit=1200%2C658&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/0Screen-Shot-2020-01-31-at-10.58.31-AM.png?fit=1200%2C658&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/0Screen-Shot-2020-01-31-at-10.58.31-AM.png?fit=1200%2C658&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/0Screen-Shot-2020-01-31-at-10.58.31-AM.png?fit=1200%2C658&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":369987,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=369987","url_meta":{"origin":396433,"position":2},"title":"Secretary Burgum: You have the legal authority to halt offshore wind","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"14\/03\/2025","format":false,"excerpt":"As promised, the Trump administration started on Day 1 to fix President Biden\u2019s broken national energy policy. Chief among these \u201cfixes\u201d was issuing a presidential memorandum addressed to the Department of Interior, which ordered a complete reexamination of the purpose and need for offshore wind energy and whether current projects\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (\u2018BOEM\u2019)\"","block_context":{"text":"Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (\u2018BOEM\u2019)","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=bureau-of-ocean-energy-management-boem-2"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/0DALL%C2%B7E-2024-01-30-01.23.18-An-impactful-and-thought-provoking-horizontal-image-for-a-news-article-titled-_Why-Are-Wind-Turbines-Killing-Whales_.-The-image-should-feature-a-seren-1536x878-1.png?fit=1200%2C686&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/0DALL%C2%B7E-2024-01-30-01.23.18-An-impactful-and-thought-provoking-horizontal-image-for-a-news-article-titled-_Why-Are-Wind-Turbines-Killing-Whales_.-The-image-should-feature-a-seren-1536x878-1.png?fit=1200%2C686&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/0DALL%C2%B7E-2024-01-30-01.23.18-An-impactful-and-thought-provoking-horizontal-image-for-a-news-article-titled-_Why-Are-Wind-Turbines-Killing-Whales_.-The-image-should-feature-a-seren-1536x878-1.png?fit=1200%2C686&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/0DALL%C2%B7E-2024-01-30-01.23.18-An-impactful-and-thought-provoking-horizontal-image-for-a-news-article-titled-_Why-Are-Wind-Turbines-Killing-Whales_.-The-image-should-feature-a-seren-1536x878-1.png?fit=1200%2C686&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/0DALL%C2%B7E-2024-01-30-01.23.18-An-impactful-and-thought-provoking-horizontal-image-for-a-news-article-titled-_Why-Are-Wind-Turbines-Killing-Whales_.-The-image-should-feature-a-seren-1536x878-1.png?fit=1200%2C686&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":324452,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=324452","url_meta":{"origin":396433,"position":3},"title":"Great Lakes \u2018Icebreaker\u2019 Wind Project: Bury the Dead","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"28\/04\/2024","format":false,"excerpt":"The Great Lakes \u201cIcebreaker\u201d project, with $13 million of DOE\/taxpayer money wasted, is a boondoggle waiting to end. Yet the\u00a0Chicago Tribune\u00a0tries to gin up hope for an expanded project to prop up the Net Zero narrative. Sherri Lange of\u00a0North American Platform Against Wind Power\u00a0and Great Lakes Wind Truth\u00a0responds in her\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"bird and bat populations\"","block_context":{"text":"bird and bat populations","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=bird-and-bat-populations"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/05d708071-fd9a-48e2-8c81-48cfffca0268-AP21286693724300.webp?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/05d708071-fd9a-48e2-8c81-48cfffca0268-AP21286693724300.webp?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/05d708071-fd9a-48e2-8c81-48cfffca0268-AP21286693724300.webp?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/05d708071-fd9a-48e2-8c81-48cfffca0268-AP21286693724300.webp?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/05d708071-fd9a-48e2-8c81-48cfffca0268-AP21286693724300.webp?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":369714,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=369714","url_meta":{"origin":396433,"position":4},"title":"Shoal of fish, or herding cats? African energy","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"13\/03\/2025","format":false,"excerpt":"The U.S. Government has officially discontinued a program in Africa to generate renewable energy in the interests of the environment. The program was originally initiated by President Obama in 2013, and the idea was to produce 30 000 MW of renewable energy, for underserved communities.","rel":"","context":"In \"$75\"","block_context":{"text":"$75","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=75"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/0Africa-Energy.jpg?fit=1200%2C750&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/0Africa-Energy.jpg?fit=1200%2C750&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/0Africa-Energy.jpg?fit=1200%2C750&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/0Africa-Energy.jpg?fit=1200%2C750&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/0Africa-Energy.jpg?fit=1200%2C750&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":349343,"url":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=349343","url_meta":{"origin":396433,"position":5},"title":"Emotionally Unstable \u201cClimate Scientists\u201d Don\u2019t Like Being Criticized, Run to Daddy (Nature)","author":"uwe.roland.gross","date":"28\/10\/2024","format":false,"excerpt":"The Guardian article titled \u2018We have emotions too\u2019: Climate scientists respond to attacks on objectivity is a remarkable exercise in self-pity, featuring climate scientists venting about the supposedly unjust criticism they face\u200b. This is in reaction to the pushback received after publication of an idiotic survey by the Guardian last\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Climate crisis\"","block_context":{"text":"Climate crisis","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?tag=climate-crisis"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/0what-is-distress.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/0what-is-distress.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/0what-is-distress.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/0what-is-distress.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/climatescience.press\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/0what-is-distress.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/396433","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/121246920"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=396433"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/396433\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":396439,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/396433\/revisions\/396439"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/396437"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=396433"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=396433"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=396433"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}