On this fortieth anniversary of the first Earth Day, I am fondly remembering Earth Day 1992, planting tiny White Pine seedlings at Port Crescent State Park with my 3-year-old daughter. The little girl is now a young woman and the seedlings are now vibrant young trees, living souvenir of a precious time in our lives.

There are countless Saginaw Bay area residents, I am sure, whose lives are deeply connected to the Bay, whose most valued memories of family and friendships include the Bay as their setting. How many of us find the "best times of our lives" to be taking place around and on these waters? I would venture to say that there is not a person reading this who is unconnected to the Saginaw Bay. Countless boaters, picnickers, anglers, duck hunters, birders, and sun-bathers. This bay is our treasure; it is our "center."

Others have a big plan for our treasure, our "center," It is masquerading as the greatest thing for our economy and environment: massive wind turbines, in massive numbers, crowding the waters of Saginaw Bay. And its shores. And countless inland locations.

Is this what you want? Is it going to benefit your economic status? Is it cost-effective... in our lifetime? At what cost.

At what cost to the environment-- including the hundreds of thousands of yearly migrating swans, ducks, and geese that have looked to the bay for refuge and safe passage. For thousands of years. Do not for an instant think that an unbiased "study" exists that shows turbines to be "safe" for migrating birds.

Do not for a moment think that there exist unbiased studies addressing the health effects on people living in close proximity to turbines. And do not be fooled into thinking that wind turbines will somehow benefit your economic status. And even if you think nothing of the migration spectacle that blesses our bay, think about your health, think about your "quality of life." Think about your property values.

On this fortieth Earth Day, do something. Saginaw Bay conservation groups-- take action before it is too late. Civic leaders-- educate yourselves.

Saginaw Bay residents, whether you witness the sunrise or the sunset over the bay-- do you want your view to include an army of endlessly churning wind turbines?

Monica Essenmacher