The line of turbines dotting a ridge in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom sparked outrage and protests: The giant blades are despoiling the land and views, they cried, devastating the already decimated bird population, and the wop-wop noise is driving people mad or at least making them really really angry.
Your point is well taken. New Jersey is now having a confrontation between those building offshore wind turbines and some of the owners of beach houses and coastal tourist facilities. At first their protests were at least honest about their NIMBY motives, but then they noticed an occasional whale stranding. Even though there was no evidence, either statistical or physical, that the wind farm survey work caused the strandings, the protesters suddenly became terribly concerned for the sea beasts' welfare. Fortunately it looks as though the wind farms will prevail. I hope to attend a rally supporting the wind project.
There are such risks, and we should be alert to them, even after the extensive environmental surveys and studies which preceded licensing the wind farm. As with any such decision, we have to estimate the risks of the project with the consequences of canceling it and deriving the equivalent power from combustion based generation. Similar reasoning applies to almost any public or private policy decision. In this case, science and history of other wind farms clearly favor the project.
Your last sentence gets right to the heart of the situation. The great American concept that the world revolves around ME. All for clean energy and conservation as long as I don't have to give up anything I have or want.
Confused. Are the "trees" in the picture electrical towers? Our biggest concern is the damage done to the mountain tops by construction of the turbines. Have no problem with solar panels.. Means fewer electric lines and poles!
Not only does the world revolve around me, I am powerless to change it.
I am a powerful agent of change when I connect with others to share ideas respectfully.
I am so happy to have these posts to read in the morning.
Thanks Susie (always Susie to me) I love that first line.
Your point is well taken. New Jersey is now having a confrontation between those building offshore wind turbines and some of the owners of beach houses and coastal tourist facilities. At first their protests were at least honest about their NIMBY motives, but then they noticed an occasional whale stranding. Even though there was no evidence, either statistical or physical, that the wind farm survey work caused the strandings, the protesters suddenly became terribly concerned for the sea beasts' welfare. Fortunately it looks as though the wind farms will prevail. I hope to attend a rally supporting the wind project.
And yet, as I know you know, we need to be open to the possibility of unintended consequences.
There are such risks, and we should be alert to them, even after the extensive environmental surveys and studies which preceded licensing the wind farm. As with any such decision, we have to estimate the risks of the project with the consequences of canceling it and deriving the equivalent power from combustion based generation. Similar reasoning applies to almost any public or private policy decision. In this case, science and history of other wind farms clearly favor the project.
Yes, the big questions. Good to grapple with, hard to resolve...
Your last sentence gets right to the heart of the situation. The great American concept that the world revolves around ME. All for clean energy and conservation as long as I don't have to give up anything I have or want.
Yeah, I too am a perpetrator.
Confused. Are the "trees" in the picture electrical towers? Our biggest concern is the damage done to the mountain tops by construction of the turbines. Have no problem with solar panels.. Means fewer electric lines and poles!
Yes, look closely, and what appears to be trees are in fact electrical towers. I'll send you a higher res photo.