Shame on Me – Sharing without Being Sure of the Facts. Confirmation Bias at Work!
Ok……..I should have been a bit more skeptical and done more fact-checking before sharing this piece a few days ago, because (shocking, I know!) “it was a bit more complicated than that.”
Yes, there were some kind of “nutty” concerns about solar panels preventing photosynthesis, which is bonkers still, but on the whole, most of the concerns raised had to do with property values and local economic impact (both what’s already happened due to 3 previous solar farm installations) and possible future impact. And as a home owner who’s had property values hurt by major interstate construction nearby, and with my parents currently selling their home for about the same price as they bought it 10 years ago due to more local construction, I do get that. Especially since there are ALREADY 3 solar farms in place there, indicating that the local community has previously not had a big issue with the idea of solar.
IOW – slap on the hand for me for allowing confirmation bias (of various sorts) to color my sharing without adequate fact-checking. I’ll try to do better next time.
http://www.snopes.com/north-carolina-town-rejects-solar-panels/