IMNSHO, people who protest against a solution just because they don’t want to look at it yet do nothing themselves to solve the problem are a special kind of hypocrite. Now I’ve seen wind farms in both the USA and Europe, and I think they look kind of cool, myself.
According to Newsweek, “As projects to build “wind farms” of massive, electricity-generating wind turbines continue to multiply, so do the ranks of “not in my backyard” protesters. The turbines, some with blades that sweep as high as a 20-story building, are increasingly seen as unsightly and dangerous manifestations of the industrialization of the countryside. “
There is a strong financial incentive, however, in at least putting up a windmill on your roof or in your back yard:
Wind advocates thus have high hopes for less obtrusive wind technology: specifically, high-performance, nonpolluting rooftop microturbines.
Rising electricity costs are sweetening the deal, as is the proliferation of “net metering” laws that require utility companies to purchase the unused small-wind electricity fed onto the grid. Five years ago half a dozen EU countries obliged energy companies to buy this so-called spill; now 24 countries do. Thirty-nine U.S. states have passed net-metering legislation.
Let’s just hope that neighborhood groups don’t try and over-regulate how people can deploy household windmills.
Moss…sorry to hear about your friend. Ben Nevis is totally unpredictable. I went up at end of term last June 20th…..we got caught in a white out….I was amazed, I had been prepared because my best mate who works in Holland but is a Scot had warned me that it could happen, but still couldn’t believe a blizzard in June.
What seems to be happening in the U.K. is this…..in Scotland the locals were all for the farms, but then the businesses that need tourism money started saying they would blight the fantastic views that everyone comes to see, then the green groups started with the bird killings and flyways argument and the 30% or so of the locals who were the NIMBY’S have joined up with the first 2 groups and started making inroads into the 60% that were for the farms. Things still seem to be on track, but a couple of the larger off shore farms may have to be forgotten to get the smaller onshore ones ok’ed.
It’s kind of like my situation……I tell people when they ask what I am in uni for, that I’m reading law (animal rights/habitat enviroment)…as soon as I say animal rights, a lot of people immediatly think I’m in the ALF or a PETA extreamist. Amazing how many really mean looks I get. There are different levels of all groups I guess. I try not to paint everyone with the broad brush, but don’t always live up to it.
Had to sneak into this for a moment, joshua.
[1] Because I do a wee bit of support for the folks trying to get those wind farms built in the Highlands and Islands. And as many years as I’ve spent alternating between agreeing and disagreeing with Brian Wilson, he’s working his butt off on this one — for the usual reason. Trying to provide better opportunities at a better living for crofters.
[2] Because you make me chuckle/nostalgic over the animal rights stares. I’ll try to make it brief > hide the name of the firm, too.
The first firm I worked for — importing from the Orient — started out manufacturing a couple of small products for the garment district in NYC. In the 19th Century, any pelt entering commerce via a trading post had a sequential numbered metal tag afixed — that stayed till it ended up in a coat. The firm invented and made those tags. Only — in my day, we only made the for truck/container doors. As in the old days, they were called “seals”. Still are.
First paycheck, I grabbed the envelope and hustled to my bank. Ripped open the envelope, signed the check and slapped it in front of the teller. I needed the money — losing a week or two changing jobs.
She looked at me with a stare of horror and shrieked, “Are you one of those people who clubs those little fur seals?”
I looked at the check. I worked for Xxxxxxxx Imports. But, the check still had the original company name — Xxxxxxxx Fur Seal Company — for those damned little metal tags.
There is a lot of hipocracy in the enviromental community. It’s OK if someone else has to pay for it or put up with an eyesore. Ask the Kenedys why there are no windmills in their favorite sailing waters.
There’s a wind farm a few miles south of the town where I work and I think it looks cool. You can see the towers from miles away. It reminds me of the cool structure they built in the movie “Contact” – a big, high-tech spinning thingie that reminds me daily that we’ve come a long way from rubbing 2 sticks together.
Here’s an excellent article on the bird death issue.
http://www.awea.org/faq/sagrillo/swbirds.html
Perhaps someone will come up with a way to make them look like art. How about a modern turbine gussied up to look like that old Nederlander model? Wouldn’t it be kinda charming?
Never mind. Watching the rock n’ roll pump prices, I have visions of local Mom and Pop stores coming back, when nobody wants to spend more to drive over to Wal-mart or Home Depot than they save by shopping there. (or maybe they’ll offer free delivery!).
I heard that if everybody in the US replaced just one of their incandescent light bulbs with a fluorescent one, the energy savings would be huge on a mass scale. I tried one of those some time ago… it cost $13 and only lasted about a year. I bought one recently, though, for $4. Let’s see how it works this time.
About the environmentalists thing. Anyone can call them self an environmentalist when it suits there purpose. I think the number of rabid, extreme enviroes is probably equal to the number of extreme, money hungry that want to pave over paradise. Most people realize the symbiotic relationship between nature and man and are willing to compromise to some degree.
Anyone can be a NIMBY when it suits their purpose. As I mentioned above, I wouldn’t want a rendering plant, Nuclear generator, or NASCAR racetrack built next door. Mostly because all of them would seriously hamper my enjoyment of my property. Those, however are among the extreme. A windmill farm would not bother me. I would not mind a dairy farm, but I would a feed lot. This is because the smell and noise from each operation would interfere with the ability to enjoy my property. No smell, no noise, and I don’t complain.
Here I am agreeing with Fusion again – across the board. I’d have a hard time getting it past my wife for esthetic reasons, but I’d love to put a turbine up in my yard or on the roof.
The demand for generators is getting highier in West Africa because of the intermittent power supply that is very common here. So, my company AWARENESS ADVERTISEMENT AGENT [AAA] is about to build an exhibition center for generators produced by this Company. The generators will be warehoused, advertised, sold in large quantities in this exhibition center to the costumers at affordable prices in order to eliminate the charges/stress/time wastage involved in the importation of generators in West Africa.
My Company have dicided to partner with yours because your Company’s products have been tested and trusted here. My Company will buy in large quantity from your company, import down to West Africa create an awareness to members of the public about the arrival of the product and resell them at affordable prices.
It will favour your Company, my, and you costumers here in West Africa.
My transaction with your Company will commence as soon as i’m through with the buildings, empployment of personnel and fixing the whole arrengement with your Company.
I can assure you that Success will be achieved.
Please keep in tourch.
Kelly George
General Manager, Awareness Advertisement Agency [AAA]
West Africa.
+2348059276592