Windfarms

We have had 3 weeks or so of harmony on forums and been really enjoyable I am slightly concerned this thead could be controversial enough to innocently go astray.Think they are all good comments anyway,JBNTS you probably didn't mean it that way but like your sense of humour.  

If the government was really serious about promoting renewable energy, surely it would stipulate that no new house should be built without solar panels.

My eldest son works for a company in the east midlands that incinerates all sorts of waste, and some of it pretty revolting too, which produces electricity that is fed into the national grid [I don't understand the technicalities!]. This also of course reduces land-fill.

Hi Kaz, we have windfarms in the River Mersey,they are an eyesore,they spoil the great views from the forshore,all you can see are these things sticking out of the water,Bad for birds and wildlife and bad and dangerous for shipping.Dont know anyone who wants them!!

john.

Just because the UK is facing it's coldest winter does not mean that the climate isn't warming - it is global temperatures that matter and globally temperatures are rising - there is fluctuation, that's the weather for you, but on average temperatures are going up and this is supported by various sources particularly ice-core data, the shrinking of the Arctic and more recently the Antarctic and the rise in sea temperatures that causes coral bleaching.  In fact, more extremes are expected with global warming so the colder weather means nothing it is the bigger picture that needs to be looked at not the mini-scale of local climates.  But whether you believe in global warming or not, it is irrelevent really.

We can't keep using fossil fuels, everyone knows that, and the harvesting if uranium for nuclear powerstations is hardly environmentally sound, not to mention the problems of the radioactive waste which some people seem to want to dump at the bottom of the deep sea seemingly ignorant that the deep sea is filled with life which connects a big tangled yarn ball of a food web.  Renewable sources need to be looked into and windfarms are an option - but we can't have just ONE renewable source - the more we use the more reliable the energy supply and the more energy produced so windfarms probably do have their place (I must admit I am rather fond of offshore ones as the area they are in is off-limits to the trawlers that are devestating fish stocks creating a little safe haven for the fish).  However, I think it is high time wave energy came into its own as this seems to be one of the best options out there for providing reliable evergy.  This doesn't mean other sources should be rejected though, I agree with who said that ALL new buildings should be fitted with solar panels at the very least for heating the hot water.  All new buildings should also be fully insulated to reduce heat loss in the first place and there should be proper inspections to ensure this is been done properly with no corners being cut.  Proper insulation makes a massive difference to heating a home - which in winter uses up a lot of energy.  The better the insulation, the less heat need to heat the home, the less CO2 emissions, the better for the environment (and people's wallets).  The government schemes to insulate older homes should continue and personally I think it should cover a broader range of homes - plus I think homeowners should be provided with advice on reducing the cost of heating their homes, not necessarily the big stuff but the smaller things that can be done such as curtains that reduce heat loss (we have these - highly recommended!).

Unknown said:

But what about global warming? Ah! This is my third point: the globe has been warming since the middle of the last ice age. It has fluctuated in the last 1000 years or so with the Medieval Warming Period and the Little Ice Age and has, in fact, been cooling for the last 10 years (which the notorious Climate Research Unit would not like us to mention). The savage cold spell we are now enjoying, with the coldest November record being broken by -7 degrees, is hardly a symptom of global warming! This is the coldest November of my 71-year life.

This is one of the biggest problems in the climate change debate. You are talking about weather, which is an entirely different process to climate. The earth's overall climate is still on the rise since the last ice-age and human impact, especially the burning of fossil fuels, is contributing to that rise.

To say that we should do nothing because of what is happening in the developing world is just irresponsible. Everyone needs to play their part in cutting CO2, whether by just switching off unused lights to larger scale projects of solar panel installation.

I believe we have a moral obligation to cut CO2 emmissions. By employing an integrated approach and using all available energy sources we can begin to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, otherwise the environmental impact of standing by and doing nothing will be much worse in the end. I already have solar panels and a wind turbine to generate a proportion of the energy that i use, and whilst one on it's own would not be enough to satisfy the demand, the two work in tandem. This can be expanded to a national level and by including a number of sources of green energy, it will only lead to a decrease in the need for fossil fuel generated power.

I appreciate that there are hidden agendas behind the decisions and policies laid out by goverment, but that doesn't mean we can't all do our bit as individuals and try to reduce our CO2 footprint.

We also have a moral obligation to reduce our own usage, unfortunately you do not mention that..  We must stop ruining the landscape, killing birds and other wildlife just because we need more and more electricity.  We all have mobile phones, computers, laptops, microwaves etc. all using more and more power.  Our needs are NOT the most important. 

You cannot take the moral highground and ignore the fact the windfarms are not green - turbines kill birds and wildlife during construction and every single day that they turn.  Don't forget windfarms are built (because of noise issues) in remote areas.  Remote areas are where are rarest birds and wildlife live.

How much concrete do you think is used to construct a windfarm ?  How much fuel is used to construct and deliver all that is necessary for construction ?  Please look beyond what you are told, take a wider view - windfarms are not the answer. 

Community Windpower are attempting to construct a huge windfarm of 16 x 126m turbines on the edge of Bodmin Moor in Cornwall, right on the flighpath of the soaring starlings, a protected species.  Golden Plover, also a protected species, breed here.  They have agreed to stop the turbines turning if bird deaths exceed 250 per day !  Is it alright then if 249 birds per day are killed ?  Isn't it a bit late then ?  What is the point in trying to protect endangered species ?

What is the RSPB doing to protect the birds in this area ?  Not a lot that we can see.

Rachel K said:

If the government was really serious about promoting renewable energy, surely it would stipulate that no new house should be built without solar panels.

My eldest son works for a company in the east midlands that incinerates all sorts of waste, and some of it pretty revolting too, which produces electricity that is fed into the national grid [I don't understand the technicalities!]. This also of course reduces land-fill.

If it was really really serious it would impose Scandinavian grade insulation standards on all new house builds and introduce incentives to retrofit heavy insulation to existing housing stock. Then we could all keep warm from the heat of a PC or large light bulb. Of course the energy providers wouldn't be too supportive....

JBNTS

Excellent points - I couldn't agree with you more :o))