North Carolina Town Thinks Solar Panels Cause Cancer And “Suck Up All The Energy From The Sun”

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A North Carolina town rejected the addition of more solar panels this week because they’re hilariously afraid of science. A resident actually said, out loud, and on the record, that solar farms “would suck up all the energy from the sun and businesses would not come to Woodland.”

Even worse, Jane Mann, a retired high school science teacher — no I’m not kidding — “questioned the high number of cancer deaths in the area, saying no one could tell her that solar panels didn’t cause cancer.” One can only imagine her views on vaccines, the world being flat, or gravity. No one can tell her those don’t cause cancer, either.

From Roanoke-Chowan News Herald:

“I want to know what’s going to happen,” she said. “I want information. Enough is enough. I don’t see the profit for the town.

“People come with hidden agendas,” she said. “Until we can find if anything is going to damage this community, we shouldn’t sign any paper.”

I get that energy is a contentious issue these days. Whether you want to save the environment or your bottom line, there are plenty of valid arguments for clean energy, just as there are good economic arguments in support of coal and oil. Still, valid arguments don’t include sucking up the sun’s energy or “Well, they can’t tell me it doesn’t cause cancer,” especially when plenty of actual scientists say just that.

Stupid isn’t a good look, regardless of your views.

[via Roanoke-Chowan News Herald]

Image via Shutterstock

  1. OozmaKappa

    Fun Fact: There was an article in a scientific journal a while ago where a dozen or so scientists said that solar panels were bad because they would suck up the energy of the sun. They also said that the sun would only contain a 50 year supply of energy because solar panels act like vacuums (completely false). Anyways, this scientific paper got accepted by many of the scientists who didn’t believe in global warming and has been cited in other articles thousands of times. There is still a cult following of researchers who believe that solar energy, if harnessed by solar panels, will cause the sun to stop emitting energy.

    10 years ago at 9:31 am
  2. SlutsWillbeSluts

    I refuse to believe in this level of stupidity in our great nation. As an employee of a firm that manufactures certain raw materials for solar panels, I can’t begin to explain, even with my limited scientific knowledge, how ridiculous these statement are.

    With that said, the “profit” for the town is still difficult to determine but will certainly rise as the technology becomes more efficient. I almost want to say these people don’t deserve alternative sources of energy, but I don’t want them to fuck up my power grid.

    10 years ago at 9:33 am
      1. Lord of the Fratio

        Comm doesn’t have to, Steve has said it multiple times himself. Best of luck now

        10 years ago at 10:46 am
  3. RageEveryDay

    Just remember these people are legally allowed to vote and have children…..

    10 years ago at 9:39 am
  4. RobertBaskin

    Denying climate change and fighting against the use of clean energy despite the facts #TFM

    10 years ago at 9:45 am
  5. Fratty the Broman

    What kind of printer was used to print Jane’s degree? Teaching certificate?

    10 years ago at 9:56 am
  6. Ronald Rayban

    Solar panels suck up all the energy from the sun, just as Jane sucked up all the energy from her cousin.

    10 years ago at 10:19 am
  7. Fraiking

    “Our town will be powered by moonshine and broken dreams, like it always has been!”

    10 years ago at 10:24 am