Wind turbines

[kshotton45]

I couldn't find a thread on Wind Turbines, so I'll start one. Do you love 'em or hate 'em ! ?
Is it a case of 'not in my backyard' !
I like them , they're graceful. Does anyone have one ' in their back yard' ?

The Scottish Government has approved plans for the second largest wind farm in Scotland, capable of generating power for 120,000 homes.
The project will be created at Harestanes, near Moffat in Dumfries and Galloway, and comprise of 71 turbines.


BBC NEWS | Scotland | Second biggest wind farm approved

Keith.

[Jez]

I love Windmills, Turbines, Chimes and those garden decorations that all spin to the invisible power of the wind. I don't own a Turbine or even how to install one but if you can switch to 100% renewable energy anyway then what purpose does having one yourself serve?

[almostnormal]

i'm not sure on wind turbines i have to say. i think that they're ok when they're in the right place, but i'm not convinced about their renewable-ness. i've read a lot of literature that suggests that they don't always generate the energy it takes to make them during their lifetimes. i also think you have to carefully assess the impact they're going to have on the surrounding environment. for example the ainsdale off shore windfarm has had to be moved due to the disturbance it would cause to the scoter roost, and the lewis windfarm shouldn't even be contemplated. its all very well saying renewable renewable renewable, but i don't think we currently possess the technology to create truly renewable energy.

[Tormentil]

Hate them.

They're noisy, not cost effective, and will not provide enough power for the UKs needs.

They're a blot on the landscape and a danger to birds.

[almostnormal]

there's quite a lot of evidence for that aswell. large birds on migration, for example pink feet and bewicks, can't manouvre quickly enough to avoid large farms, and birds of prey have been seen to hit them, probably at dusk and dawn. that's one of the main concerns i have when i look at these massive developments. its also why i think they need to do detailed EIA's and study bird movements (and other wildlife movements) at a site over a period of time (say 3-5years) before they build them.

[kshotton45]

The RSPB seems to support wind power .............

' Monitoring of existing wind farms suggests that with sensitive siting there is no
adverse effect on bird populations. The RSPB supports wind power, and has said that
from its own studies at three wind farms in Wales, “the scale of bird strike does not
seem to be of serious concern”, and that wind turbines will have little effect on birds
outside their main migration routes.
For example, The 9 harbour-wall turbines at Blyth are in a busy bird area. Of the bird
flights through the wind farm, only 1 in 10,000 have resulted in a collision. This
translates to 1-2 collisions per year per turbine. To put the issue into perspective, every
year more than 10 million birds are killed by cars in the UK.
Developers should contact specialists such as the RSPB and conduct thorough
analysis of the risk to birdlife as part of the environmental impact assessment of the
wind farm proposal. With rigorous environmental impact assessments (EIAs) and
thorough monitoring wind power can be deployed without significant detriment to birds
(and other wildlife).
For more information about wind power and nature conservation issues, including
birds, see the report from RSPB, WWF, English Nature and BWEA: “Wind farm
development and nature conservation” '.

[jdurbo]

I never really thought about liking wind turbines or not, but after seeing those pictures from Tormentil i hate them..thats awful

jen xxx

[kshotton45]

There's more .........

Wind & Bird Strikes

' The anti-wind farm lobby has been making much of bird strikes in recent months- following the discovery of the remains of a red kite, near a wind farm in Wales (see Observer 25/1/04). It’s a rare species, even rarer nowadays since, for example, according to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, more than a third of the red kite population in the north of Scotland had been illegally poisoned between 1989 and 1998. By contrast, according to the BWEA, wind turbine surveys have found that bird strikes are in general around one per turbine per year. That’s not surprising. Birds tend to avoid moving objects and wind turbines are essentially bird scarers-except perhaps when they are not moving. Then they are more like power lines which birds sometimes hit. However care has to be taken to avoid migratory routes where large numbers can flock. '

[kshotton45]

Originally Posted by almostnormal

i'm not sure on wind turbines i have to say. i think that they're ok when they're in the right place, but i'm not convinced about their renewable-ness. i've read a lot of literature that suggests that they don't always generate the energy it takes to make them during their lifetimes. i also think you have to carefully assess the impact they're going to have on the surrounding environment. for example the ainsdale off shore windfarm has had to be moved due to the disturbance it would cause to the scoter roost, and the lewis windfarm shouldn't even be contemplated. its all very well saying renewable renewable renewable, but i don't think we currently possess the technology to create truly renewable energy.

' Environmental Effects.
Manufacture of wind turbines causes no
major environmental impacts. The
energy used in the manufacture and
construction of wind farms is only about
the same amount as the energy
produced by the wind farm in the first 3-5
months of its operation '

[Jez]

It's clearly awful to see the kites ending up in that state. It can make a man change his mind instantly.