At long last, the world’s largest wind turbine company is taking on some, hopefully all, of the false information about wind turbines being spread by the technology’s critics. Hopefully some of the other wind turbine manufacturers and operators will join the cause.

The world’s wind industry is being hammered by groups that are arguing that wind power is harmful to public health, the environment, endangered species, farm animals, and many more issues. Their evidence is at best anecdotal and usually highly suspect. However, no one from government or from the industry has been willing to take on these claims and opposition to wind energy has grown very rapidly.

Now Vestas Wind Systems A/S, based in Denmark, has launched an “Act on Facts campaign”, saying “Don’t let myths dictate our future”. The campaign is starting in Australia, which the Company says is a hot-bed of anti-wind activity. The launch event earlier this month at the University of Melbourne featured a panel discussion about the tactics used by anti-wind energy activist groups and what the wind industry can do to counter the wild claims and convert the quiet majority of wind energy supporters into active campaigners.

Vestas Group Senior Vice President Morten Albæk is quoted as stating “It is important to distinguish between genuine local concerns and the increasingly professional anti-wind activists whose strategy seems designed to confuse and inflame the debate. “Act on Facts” is a bold stroke to counter that strategy. Veering off the well-trodden public relations path entails risks. But playing it safe is even riskier.”

GallonDaily is concerned that the Vestas campaign may be too little too late but it is still better to do something than to do nothing if the global potential for renewable energy is to be realized. Hopefully other wind energy companies will quickly realize that their future viability depends on winning over public opinion in areas where wind energy resources exist.

Vestas has 36% of the wind turbine market in Canada, according to the Canadian Wind Energy Association.

The Vestas announcement of the campaign is at http://www.vestas.com/en/media/news/news-display.aspx?action=3&NewsID=3294

A 13 minute interview with  Morten Albæk  is available on World News Network at http://article.wn.com/view/2013/06/18/Vestas_launches_Act_on_Facts_campaign_in_battle_against_anti/#/video

The Act on Facts campaign web site is at http://www.actonfacts.org