"Green" is Ugly!

[Punity]

Those people have never lived in Palm springs. Kinda pretty to watch the hundreds of turbines humming along.

People will always find a reason to complain.

 

[arturo7]

Plastics are about the only thing that would die off without crude. And, frankly, this world will still spin without them.

Perhaps, but very, very slowly. Say goodbye to high mileage cars, air travel, computers and all electronics, all medical devices, food packing, etc. etc. The only thing you touch more than plastic is your own skin.

 

[thepartsmancometh]

There are several large wind farms in my immediate vicinity, and I don't think they cause any issues. Some old people shook their canes at them initially, but I haven't heard any real complaints now that they are established. They are sorta cool looking too

 

[CreamyGoodness]

First of all, whomever asked if Sharona was me... well you made me laugh audibly. Nicely done.

Secondly, to those good folks who lament the wind turbines because they are ugly, well... fornicate with a fruit basket. I always like to have a well-worded scientific argument to present.

Thirdly, full disclosure, my father-in-law is a retired lubricants salesman (no, not those... NO I cant get you a discount... geez) and my sister-in-law got a solar start-up off the ground. I have just a touch of anecdotal and working knowledge of traditional and alternative energy sources. To respectfully disagree with those who claim that "green" is a misnomer... I would counter that, unfortunately, people on both sides of the energy aisle have overused the term so much that it has lost its original meaning. "Green" originally meant "sustainable," and "producing less emissions than its fossil fuel counterparts." If every turbine in America and abroad required the ritual sacrifice of a virgin during the new moon and required a lubricant made of dead baby seal heads to function... well... they would still be "green" under the original definition.

I really do think we should avoid killing bats and golden eagles though... so turbines 2.0 should take that into account.

 

[SharonaZamboni]

First of all, whomever asked if Sharona was me... well you made me laugh audibly. Nicely done.

I was flattered

 

[CreamyGoodness]

I was flattered

 

[CBXBob]

Most of the "green" I see is "Green washing". The adds from the oil, gas, and coal industries telling us how good they are for us, the jobs they provide, and how they are "powering America". Any company or industry that spends millions to tell us how good they are, makes me suspect they are not. And when I hear we need to expand domestic oil production to end our dependence on foreign oil, I laugh. It's a world market, we pay the going price no matter where it's produced. The only reason we are dependent on foreign oil is because the oil companies make more money keeping it that way. If the oil companies could only sell domestic oil domestically our dependence on foreign oil would end. I'm not a communist, or a socialist, but if the government nationalized the domestic oil market as a matter of National Security I would consider it a patriotic act. But I will settle for ending government subsidies for an industry the is the most profitable on the planet.
End of rant

 

[cheezydemon3]

I have heard that all of the chopped up birds at the base of windmills can be scooped up and used as fertilizer for hops.

 

[DPBISME]

... we pay the going price no matter where it's produced...

Yep....

I mean the people that want us to stop using fossil fuel are clueless. The don't understand that ENTIRE economy is based on inexpensive energy.

That and the fact we are a Service Based Economy

Take these two items into account and you see why a hike in fuel prices effects us so.

People have to spend more of their disposiable income on energy and they have less to spend on Services... The People who work the Service Industry make less money, and a very bad "trickle down economic" thing happens...

I am not a fan of Nationalizing anything because as soon as you do Politics effect all the decision making processes... and this is never good for the taxpayer... Layers of bureaucracy, money being funneled to favored people, businesses, or instatutions… and the like. All which will reduce efficiency...

 

[jtrainer]

I recently saw an article that said each turbine, the parts and components to manufacture them takes more energy (melting / forming of metal parts, design, in addition to the chemical portions to make up the non-metalic components actually take more heat n energy than the turbine will produce in it's lifetime. If that article was anywhere near accurate, it's a losing situation.

he article wen t on to discuss newer approaches to wind turbines that to date have never interfered with birds or bats... Also the newer designs fit on roof tops nestled between the AC units. Were talking 1.5 MW on a roof top.

While I don't think much of wind turbines, and solare isn't ready for prime time IMO we do need to work our way off of fossil fuels so lets NUKE it up...