Wind Power News: Opinions
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These news and opinion items are gathered by National Wind Watch to help keep readers informed about developments related to industrial wind energy. They are the products of the organizations or individuals noted.
Destructive lust for power
Does the answer to our future energy needs lie in industrial-scale wind farms or giant hydro projects? Neither, argues Richard Reeve.
A recent question asked of many Otago wind farm opponents is, would they prefer giant hydro on the Clutha to wind farms?
The question is sometimes intended rhetorically as a taunt: what alternatives do we have? Dams on the Clutha have historical notoriety, and the industrial wind farm option is insinuated, rightly or wrongly, as a palliative to more . . .
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Landslides a clear and present danger
It’s probably too much to expect, but, following the country’s latest landslide or bog overflow, county councils and An Bord Pleanála should have more regard for people living in susceptible areas.
Despite the concerns of people in Derrybrien, Co Galway, regarding a wind farm in their area, planning permission was granted for it by An Bord Pleanála. Residents’ worst fears came to pass when a landslide caused devastation in 2003. Fast forward to August, 2008, and a similar landslide involving . . .
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Les 7 erreurs de l’éolien
Rien n’est plus difficile que d’aller à contre-courant des modes. Plus encore quand il s’agit de sujets complexes rendus apparemment simples, comme : le vent c’est de l’énergie… il n’y a qu’à le capter et, en plus, c’est gratuit et renouvelable !…
Pourtant, en France au XXIème siècle, l’énergie éolienne recèle 7 erreurs sur les plans : Energétique, Esthétique, Economique, Ethique, Ecologique, Environnemental, Electoraliste.
1) Erreur énergétique
La dépendance française est certes effective et considérable pour les produits pétroliers et gaziers. L’épuisement de Lacq, seul . . .
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Wind turbine as iconic 'it' object
The wind turbine’s detractors fall into roughly two categories.
To some objectors, the turbine is the devil’s trident — a whirling, whirring one that thwacks birds, chews bats and sets whales’ teeth on edge. To the less eco-minded, it is the blight just off the back porch — if it happens to be your back porch.
But none of that matters just now. The wind turbine is the “it” item of the year.
Ads broadcast by the campaigns of Sens. . . .
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A form of eminent domain is happening here
The dictionary defines eminent domain as the inherent power of the state to seize a citizen’s private property without the owner’s consent.
The recent U.S. Supreme Court’s liberal and controversial decision gave the right: “In simple terms that the government can take privately owned land, as long as the land will be used by the public and the owner is paid a fair price for the land, what the amendment calls just.”
“Used by the public” being the key phrase.
A form of . . .
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Question regarding wind energy is who's misleading who?
I am writing in response to Horizon Wind’s Project Manager, Gary Davidson’s, 8/11/08 letter, “In energy crisis we need to harvest wind.” Since I am the author of the letter he was referencing, I had to laugh as Davidson repeatedly stated, “the writer continues to mislead the public.” Mr. Davidson, and the industry he represents, have the obvious over-riding motivation to mislead the public here — GREED! Let’s consider some of the inaccuracies in Davidson’s letter which should leave . . .
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The winds of change in our energy consumption could still be light years away
When it comes to beating our oil addiction, more and more people believe the answer is blowing in the wind.
In the global conversation taking place around clean, renewable power, wind is the It source of the moment. No less than T. Boone Pickens, the legendary 80-year-old Texan who made billions in the oil industry, is betting it will provide the gushers of tomorrow. He’s spending $10-billion to build the largest wind farm in the world.
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, . . .
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Subsidies for wind power blow over
Creating electricity from wind that just happens to be blowing might seem like a cheap source of power, but it’s not.
As we’ve already seen in Denmark, its high cost requires taxpayer handouts to develop and survive.
Subsidies in Denmark created a lot of wind power, but when the flow from the taxpayer subsidy tap ebbed, so did the industry.
In B.C., wind power will also be subsidized.
Creating a welfare-dependent industry in the province may benefit the backers of these projects, but . . .
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Energy exaggeration is blowing in the wind
T. Boone Pickens has made quite a stir with his commercials about the need for wind power. For an oilman, he’s putting down a big bet on renewable energy.
His plan: Use wind power to replace much of the natural gas now used to generate electricity. Then shift that gas to cars and stop paying so much for foreign oil.
Sounds good, but on the scale that Pickens envisions, this is a pipe dream.
Certainly wind power has grown rapidly in the last . . .
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T. Boone Pickens' plan is a windy boondoggle
T. Boone Pickens is a smart businessman. In fact, he’s a genius at it. In a world where the manufacturers of “green” this and “Earth-friendly” that are rolling in, um, er — green — Pickens has found a way to make the millions spent on jute supermarket bags look like chump change. The state of Texas’ investment of $4.9 billion in wind technology is going to make wind farmers such as Pickens even wealthier.
Alas, Pickens’ good fortune overshadows the misfortune . . .
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