Maine Voices columnist Roger Merchant rails against the proliferation of wind farms in northern Maine (”Wanted: Windmill, power-line free zones,” April 22, Page D2). He says the ubiquitous flashing lights on these towers result in “losing visual ground.”

I noticed that he is described as a forester and photographer but nowhere is he described as an environmentalist. When one considers the dire consequences the Earth and its inhabitants face as the result of burning fossil fuels and global warming, we don’t have the luxury of complaining about the view.

We’re looking at mass extinctions, water lapping at the feet of Pacific Islanders and extreme weather, the likes of which man has not seen since human history began. And we should worry about a few flashing lights from an energy source that is designed to wean us off fossil fuels?

Mr. Merchant should venture out into his beloved Moosehead region in daylight, or is he not bothered by the loss of “visual ground” to the rolling clearcuts, herbicide-scorched landscapes and softwood plantations perpetrated on northern Maine by his fellow foresters?

To quote a popular saying: “Where are we going, and what am I doing in this handbasket?”

Kurt Woltersdorf

Sanford