Town rejects plan for solar farm, fearing it may 'suck up all the energy from the sun'

A mere two days after President Obama hailed the landmark climate accord reached in Paris as our best chance to save the planet from the effects of global climate change, it seems we may have taken a few steps back.

A town in North Carolina has rejected plans to rezone land for a solar farm after residents voiced their fears that it would cause cancer, stop plants from growing, and "suck up all the energy from the sun."

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Among those who voiced concerns about the proposed plan was retired science teacher Jane Mann, who claimed the solar ranch could hinder photosynthesis and stop plants from growing-- also adding that no one could tell her solar panels didn't cause cancer.%shareLinks-quote="People come with hidden agendas. Until we can find if anything is going to damage this community, we shouldn't sign any paper." type="quote" author="Jane Mann" authordesc="Former science teacher" isquoteoftheday="false"%Bobby Mann, Jane's husband, claimed that the solar farm would "suck up all the energy from the sun and businesses would not come to Woodland." %shareLinks-quote="You're killing your town. All the young people are going to move out." type="quote" author="Bobby Mann" authordesc="" isquoteoftheday="false"% Strata Solar Company representative Brent Niemann addressed these concerns, assuring the meeting that the only sunlight used would be that which fell on the panels directly. %shareLinks-quote="The panels don't draw additional sunlight. There are no toxic materials on site. This is a tried and true technology." type="quote" author="Brent Niemann" authordesc="spokesman for Strata Solar" isquoteoftheday="false"% Apparently, this rational had no effect on the Woodland Town Council, who, instead of simply turning down the proposal, voted to put a moratorium on future solar farms in the area.

Learn more about how solar energy is safely converted to clean electricity:

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