Museum of Science, Boston

Forum [Return to listing page]

Additional media is available

Offshore wind farms offer the promise of renewable electricity without the need for fossil fuels. As wind turbines become more and more efficient, policymakers and communities are weighing the environmental and economic benefits of wind-generated electricity against potentially negative impacts on wildlife, tourism, aesthetics, fishing, and boat navigation, among others.

In this Forum, a panel of guest speakers introduced participants to some of the factors surrounding the local and national debates on the issue of wind energy, including the proposed Cape Wind project. Audience members then worked in small groups to consider trade-offs from the various stakeholder perspectives and then decided whether and how offshore wind farms should be used by a fictional coastal community.

The evening included a brief overview from Greg Watson, senior advisor for clean energy technology in the Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs and vice president for sustainable development at the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative.

For additional resources on wind energy, download the document below.

For any additional questions, please call 617-589-4250 or email forumrsvp@mos.org.

Photo courtesy of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative.