Friday November 6, 2009, 11:40 am
"Of course, even without the bird deaths, one of the major issues many take with wind energy is their appearance. Tall, unwieldy and ugly, many communities simply find the turbines unseemly and would rather not have them built. While the windfarms in Cape Cod were finally built, there was a huge struggle between environmentalists and Cape Cod residents over the creation of Cape Wind. Denizens of North Carolina have gone a step further and want to ban any wind farms built on the Appalachian Mountain that are over 1,000 feet because they are "too ugly". While the majesty and beauty of the mountains are nothing to scoff at, this ban would effectively make 2/3 of North Carolina closed to wind energy [Source: Treehugger]."

Do they think fossil fuel power plants with all their emitted pollution are beautiful?! What idiots!!!

Friday November 6, 2009, 11:58 am
Would solar and geothermal not cover their needs?

Friday November 6, 2009, 12:29 pm
Germany's renewable myth

Germany is seen as a leader in renewable energy, but its experience has been a costly waste
http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/fpcomment/archive/2009/10/21/germany-s-renewable-myth.aspx

Friday November 6, 2009, 1:35 pm
Judy, you must know that the Financial Post is a biased right-wing rag. It only tells half the story.

Building solar panels and windmills and even hydroelectric dams might be more expensive at first, but then we could simply get plenty of energy from them where they stand for a much longer period of time, without pollution, and they can be built almost anywhere there is sunlight, wind or flowing water. Fossil fuels require us to constantly dig up and refine the resources, burn them in certain places, and then deal with the pollution from them. Renewable sources do not have such long term costs or aftereffects.

Friday November 6, 2009, 1:59 pm
Brind-friendly turbines! Yes, yes, bring them to Uruguay! We've had a lot of wind during the past years. And I won't find them ugly, I promise :-) Especially if my electricity bill goes down :-D

Friday November 6, 2009, 3:01 pm
The helix-shaped wind turbines are v interesting, and it's good to know that they are bird-friendly and that the designs are getting better all the time.

ty

Friday November 6, 2009, 4:19 pm
The other renewable energy's, such as the solar energy (of the sun), the hydro-electrical energy, the wave energy, and the geothermal energy, don't cover the humanity needs and they are more expensive that the wind energy. The construction of a wind farm is more rapid then the others forms of renewable energy. Adding to that, the wind turbines let the soils free to plant cereals, for instance. And now, has Gissel said, there are bird-friendly turbines.

Friday November 6, 2009, 5:12 pm
Wind farms in North Carolina too ugly? What are they saving the mountain tops to shave off for coal?

Friday November 6, 2009, 6:14 pm
I don't think so, the wind farms are beautiful and provides energy without pollution. I like turbine's design!

We must import less oil.

Tuesday November 10, 2009, 8:33 am
Just thought you should know that there is a gross error in your story. “New technology has created wind turbines that use larger blades and move at much slower speeds, which allows birds to avoid the blades altogether.” This statement is false and one of the many lies put out by the wind industry. The new larger prop turbines have an even greater tip speed and increase the illusion that birds can safely fly around the blades. This makes them even more dangerous. Also being much taller at 300-400 ft puts all soaring birds at a much greater risk. The new so called “safer Prop wind turbines” have tip speeds of over 200 mph at just 20 rotations per minute. The old smaller turbines used at Altamont pass have tip speeds about 120-140 mph at 80 rotations per minute. If you want to see how dangerous these new "safer prop turbines" are, please visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9srPoOU6_Z4&feature=autofb You will see a vulture get pulverized.

Tuesday November 10, 2009, 8:34 am
I am an expert on Birds of Prey. For all the “green energy” believers out there, this is a video you have to see. Each year across America thousands of eagles, hawks, owls, falcons, vultures and condors perish at “green energy” wind farms. This video will open your eyes and your mind when you see how easily a soaring vulture is smashed by the innocent looking blades of a prop wind turbine. Most prop wind turbines have blade tips speeds of approximately 200 mph. This video illustrates why all birds and bats do not have a chance near the spinning blades of a prop turbine. There has been a wind industry cover-up about the bird mortality problem for decades. Most wind farms have very high security so images like this can not be seen.

fatal accident with vulture on a windmill
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9srPoOU6_Z4&feature=autofb

The prop turbine in this video is not even spinning at full speed. It is spinning at 12 rotations per minute. At full speed it will spin at 20 rotations per minute making this wind turbine even more dangerous to anything that happens to fly by.



Fraud is commonly used in the permitting process. I recently came across this fraudulent statement used by the wind industry in the Final Environmental Impact Report for the PDV Wind Project in Kern County, CA ………….“Scientific literature also suggests that diurnal vultures, such as the California condor, are not at substantial risk for collisions with wind turbines.”



The scientific community is very aware that each year thousands of vultures of every type are slaughtered by prop wind turbines. The numbers of dead vultures worldwide indicates that these slow flying gliders are not at all able to “skillfully” avoid the 200 mph tip speed a prop wind turbine as claimed in the Final PDV EIR. This video clearly demonstrates the danger prop wind turbines are to all birds, especially the California Condor.



Kern County recently gave the wind industry a permit to construct the large PDV prop wind turbine farm in condor habitat. A decision on another large prop wind farm, the Alta Oak Wind Project, will be given in November 09. It too will be located in condor habitat.



The public is not aware that there are alternative wind turbine designs available that do not slaughter our precious wildlife and they also produce more energy. One of them is produced by Environmental Technologies LLC. If the corrupt entities of Wall Street, Washington, and our courts were not protecting this industry, this terrible problem would already be resolved.

Tuesday November 10, 2009, 8:20 pm
Thanks for the info, Jim! I'm sad to hear that, though :-/ I saw the video. Poor volture. What are those alternative designs? Do you have pictures?