Wind farm geting the cold sholder

[drdongle]

http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=domesticNews&storyid=2006-08-30T165639Z_01_N



25358736_RTRUKOC_0_US-LIFE-WINDFARMS.xml&src=rss&rpc=22

[elvin1949]

DrD

the old man at the end has it right.

"Leave the woodpile bigger than you found it."

later

elvin

[witapple]

What always gets me about most people that are opposed to windpower messing up the "view" is that they still demand every electrical appliance made and get mad if the lights do not come on every time they throw the switch. No new nukes, no drilling, no new power generators that burn gas and no new dams . All fine and good, but at some point they will either have to go without power or let some "view" change a bit in order to not only keep from that new gas plant getting built but allow energy to be generated in a manner that does not contribute to really messing  up our planet. ...And I actually think wind farms look pretty.... in my opinion....

[ptitchard]

Yes I agree the blot on the landscape routine is so easy to quote. During a holiday in Spain in a villa in the mountains I made a comment about it being an ideal place for some wind turbines.

Again the first comment back was it would spoil the landscape, to which I immediately pointed to the huge electricity pylons that snaked thier way across the mountain side and dissapeared over the ridge and suggested that that was a bigger eye sore.

Just another example of peoples refusal to accept any change but are prepared to live with what is already there.

[Gary D]

It would be interesting to ask the nay sayers if they'd rather have several thousand refugees from New York City move in if the power goes out there permanently... Me thinks they would rather have the turbines...

On a positive note, Pa. has 1,500 Megawatts of new wind generator applications somewhere in the pipeline. The whole western Appalation(sp?) chain from Maine to Georgia has many places with average windspeeds of 15 mph. just waiting to be tapped...  Gary D.

[thefinis]

While most neg comments are about the looks the old farmer was right they make a lot of noise and vibration. It may not seem like much to most folks but when you are used to being able to hear a jet go over when it is miles above you or can hear a car coming when it is a mile or two off it is a big jump in the level of back ground noise. One problem is that it doesn't stay just on the land where it is made, it travels sometimes through bedrock. I have talked to several folks who own ranches out in far west Texas who say that it really is a problem and some of them are moving to get away. I know of one couple who moved and said that when the wind was blowing and the turbines on the mesa were working good that they could not hear them outside but the foundation of their home would pick up the vibration and you could hear it really good inside of their house several miles from the wind farm.

I think that part of the problem is that if you are getting a check from them then it is the sweet sound of money being made but if you are just a neighbor then it is noise and unsightly. Kind of like the smell of woodsmoke if you use it to keep warm in the winter it smells good to you but if you go to town smelling all smokey they look at you like you need a bath.

I don't like the highlines running all over the place it is just a pipeline into my wallet maybe if I can make enough to sell power I will feel different about it.

Finis

[WindHarvester]

Some folks just prefer the peacefulness and serenity of a 1200 ft smokestack billowing smog and smoke across the horizon, waking up each morning to find a fine coating of an unknown powdery substance on there home and belongings before slowly staggering to there vehicle to go to the clinic where they'll be treated for multiple rare conditions of which the causes are unknown.

When we see a windmill, we see hope for the generations to come.

Somebody said something similar and I can't quote the exact author but here goes.

"We did not inherit this world from our parents, it was just lent to us by our children"

Have a safe holiday,

Lonnie

[froggie]

Hi All

Anyone that thinks turbines are an eye-sore is hereby invited to come to my houes and see the 8 cooling towers from the coal-fired power station that occupy the entire skyline down my road.

I have a passionate hate for coal and gas fired power stations ever since moving here. I would rather see 100 turbines than 8 cooling towers. My asthma is mysteriously worse around here too.

Next naysayer that you meet, give them this simple scenario and see if they reconsider..

YOU are going to have a power station on your doorstep. It is not optional, your area needs more power. It will be built. The only input you have is what kind, which would you prefer -

a) Nuclear power on your doorstep with measurable background radiation increase

b) Coal fired power on your doorstep with measurable negative health impacts

c) Wind turbines that will be orders of magnitude quieter than traffic noise.

Put like that, almost everyone I've spoken to wants wind.

Some day soon people of the world need to wake up and realize we cannot continue living like this or we will cease living.

froggie

[springgrove]

I have an electric generating coal plant about 20 miles from me.  When I drive by the area all I see is massive clouds coming from it.  I have to believe that some of the people that live near them may not see the sun for weeks at a time.

I would love to see some windmills go up in my area.  Even one in someones back yard would be cool.

Jerry

[froggie]

I've now moved away from that area and my asthma is much, much better. Coal can't be the main source of power for the world forever. Just look at China, they're burning more coal than ever and their air quality is about the worst of anywhere in the world.

Since that post, I'm back in Leicestershire and I've seen 1 domestic house-mounted wind turbine put up and 1 house has fitted solar water heater panels within a mile of our house. I've got a job in a school with >3kW peak of solar on the roof.

I think it's going to be a very, very long time before anyone takes a wind or solar machine down and out of action, except for maintenance or upgrades anyway.

There's a lot of progress on energy saving yet to be made, household insulation and efficient lighting are some of the cheapest and most effective. Just because we could be saving energy though doesn't mean we shouldn't be making it.

froggie