As many small towns in the US and the world struggle due to urbanization, with jobs dwindling and young people leaving, Woodland’s main concern was an understandable one: that the ghost towns would be boxed out on all sides by eye-sore solar farms that did nothing for them.

1. Thane Ritchie
Rejecting
Renewables:
Why Some
Communities
Fear Solar
Plants

2. As you may have read in the news last month, a
tiny town in North Carolina called Woodland
rejected new solar panel installation, citing
concerns that it would suck up the sun’s energy.

3. Unsurprisingly,
this particular
claim was ripe for
ridicule — after
all, that solar
panels harm
photosynthesis is
little more than a
conspiracy
theory.

4. But in this particular detail, the larger point — that
sustainability may need help toward its path to
ubiquity — was lost in heavy snark.

5. Though some
residents
concerns were
unfounded,
Woodland’s
case makes
more sense
when
examined in
full.

6. The proposed solar plant would have been the
fourth surrounding the 800-person town, who do
not benefit from the plants at all.

7. As many small
towns in the US and
the world struggle
due to urbanization,
with jobs dwindling
and young people
leaving,
Woodland’s main
concern was an
understandable
one: that the ghost
towns would be
boxed out on all
sides by eye-sore
solar farms that did
nothing for them.

8. Read Full Story:
http://ritchiecapital.management/rejecting-renewables-
why-some-communities-fear-solar-plants/