Members Fender&EHX4ever Posted November 27, 2009 Members Share Posted November 27, 2009 I was back home in Indiana this week, and I visited my sister's family in West Lafayette. They took me to see the wind fields in Fowler These things are damned impressive!!! They stretched out to the horizon as far as the eye could see. Their size is a bit intimidating. I would hate to be around one during a tornado. Is this the future? http://www.windaction.org/images/1865.jpg http://www.windaction.org/images/1864.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Tron Murphy Posted November 27, 2009 Members Share Posted November 27, 2009 it needs to be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Snowden Posted November 27, 2009 Members Share Posted November 27, 2009 I don't know if I'd call them the future as they still have their own problems. But I think they work as a supplement in suitable areas. It is cool to see how big they actually are though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Fender&EHX4ever Posted November 27, 2009 Author Members Share Posted November 27, 2009 http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1c/Fowler_Ridge_Wind_Farm_2621896394.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Fender&EHX4ever Posted November 27, 2009 Author Members Share Posted November 27, 2009 http://www.ccremc.com/images/Indiana-Wind-Power.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members intern Posted November 27, 2009 Members Share Posted November 27, 2009 They have those all over ontario, there massive, a lot of people that live near them complain about the noise they make, most people dont believe them. In my town there building a massive solar farm, hundreds of solar panels, if not thousands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members blueballoon Posted November 27, 2009 Members Share Posted November 27, 2009 Did you get up close to them? They are so menacing. I'd be pissed if they put one close to my house. I feel bad for those people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Fender&EHX4ever Posted November 27, 2009 Author Members Share Posted November 27, 2009 I don't know if I'd call them the future as they still have their own problems. But I think they work as a supplement in suitable areas. It is cool to see how big they actually are though. Residents nearby do complain of the intimidating look of them, the blinking red lights, and the frequency they emit. Other than that, it seems we've yet to see what byproducts they create. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Fender&EHX4ever Posted November 27, 2009 Author Members Share Posted November 27, 2009 Did you get up close to them? They are so menacing. I'd be pissed if they put one close to my house. I feel bad for those people. Indeed, they are menacing to look at. But I think I'd get used to it after awhile. I'm sure people felt that way when the first water towers were being built, or the first radio towers. I would just acclimate to it. It does, however, give the landscape a completely different look - kind of loses the rustic charm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Snowden Posted November 27, 2009 Members Share Posted November 27, 2009 Residents nearby do complain of the intimidating look of them, the blinking red lights, and the frequency they emit. Other than that, it seems we've yet to see what byproducts they create. That along with them being limited to where there is enough wind to make them feasible, messing with migration of birds/birds flying into them and landing in residential areas, they've been known to explode and have started forest fires and coincidentally, they use oil for lubrication. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Fender&EHX4ever Posted November 27, 2009 Author Members Share Posted November 27, 2009 That along with them being limited to where there is enough wind to make them feasible, messing with migration of birds/birds flying into them and landing in residential areas, they've been known to explode and have started forest fires and coincidentally, they use oil for lubrication. I wondered about the bird problems. I hope migrations adapt to them That is a major issue. Maybe they can transmit a signal that deters them, but one that people can't hear? I haven't heard about them exploding. That sucks, but probably the lesser of evils compared to nuclear power waste, black lung, or oil spills. I hope it's just a design flaw that can be worked out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members melx Posted November 27, 2009 Members Share Posted November 27, 2009 it might be the future there, but unfortunatly our government thinks it's better to build more nuclear power stations..... ...I think those wind turbines are beautiful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Snowden Posted November 27, 2009 Members Share Posted November 27, 2009 I haven't heard about them exploding. That sucks, but probably the lesser of evils compared to nuclear power waste, black lung, or oil spills. I hope it's just a design flaw that can be worked out. I'm sure it's rare, but it does happen. There are a few videos on youtube that show it happening. And that's what I'm thinking/hoping. It's still a fairly new technology and we have time to work out the bugs. I don't believe it'll be a main source of energy, but I can see wind working next to solar and other "greener" sources. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members intern Posted November 27, 2009 Members Share Posted November 27, 2009 they should paint em funky colours, maybe people wouldnt complain as much. Or camo, sky blue, or make em look like a tree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Fender&EHX4ever Posted November 27, 2009 Author Members Share Posted November 27, 2009 it might be the future there, but unfortunatly our government thinks it's better to build more nuclear power stations..... ...I think those wind turbines are beautiful. I think Obama is also pushing for more nuclear power (but no politics around here, I know) I agree, there is a certain kind of beauty about them, albeit a slightly sci-fi spooky kind of beauty. I'm just not used to seeing the Indiana cornfields of my youth looking like this; but they are pretty in their own way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Fender&EHX4ever Posted November 27, 2009 Author Members Share Posted November 27, 2009 they should paint em funky colours, maybe people wouldnt complain as much. Or camo, sky blue, or make em look like a tree. I'm sure that will become more trendy. It's already been done with water towers, so why not? I could also see growing vines and flowers on them, or creating new habitats for squirrels and bats. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Destructobot Posted November 27, 2009 Members Share Posted November 27, 2009 1. Using oil for lubrication isn't a big deal. 2. As far as the noise and visual complaints, they should try living next to a coal fired power plant. The wind towers aren't spewing out mercury and causing cancer. Nor do they require coal mines, which are pretty damn gross on their own. 3. Wind works when the sun goes down, solar not so much. Wind power is absolutely necessary if we're going to continue with anything resembling our current civilization in the long term. Complaining about its impacts or drawbacks is pointless unless it's done with reference to the alternatives to wind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Destructobot Posted November 27, 2009 Members Share Posted November 27, 2009 I'm sure that will become more trendy. It's already been done with water towers, so why not?I could also see growing vines and flowers on them, or creating new habitats for squirrels and bats. Think of the added cost for painting them crazy colors. Probably not going to happen. As for growing vines up them, there's no WAY they want that maintenance issue to deal with. You can still farm underneath them, that's pretty damn good on its own. Personally, I don't find their sight objectionable at all. In fact, I like them - they remind me that we actually ARE doing something to wean ourselves from fossil fuels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rossowj Posted November 27, 2009 Members Share Posted November 27, 2009 pretty amazing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Snowden Posted November 27, 2009 Members Share Posted November 27, 2009 3. Wind works when the sun goes down, solar not so much. I'd say the two kind of even out. A lot of people don't realize how much wind is required to make turbines create energy. Just because you see them turning, doesn't mean they're making enough usable energy. Solar power can be stored. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Fender&EHX4ever Posted November 27, 2009 Author Members Share Posted November 27, 2009 Personally, I don't find their sight objectionable at all. In fact, I like them - they remind me that we actually ARE doing something to wean ourselves from fossil fuels. Agreed. It gives me hope. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Fender&EHX4ever Posted November 27, 2009 Author Members Share Posted November 27, 2009 Here's a pic I took. Talk about gloomy weather. It was pretty cool, however, to see the rainclouds floating through the propellers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Destructobot Posted November 27, 2009 Members Share Posted November 27, 2009 Storage technologies are in their infancy. Yes, there is a "cut-in" wind velocity below which the towers don't make power. That's why you map the wind speeds and put them in the right places. There's 1000's of square miles of great plains where the wind howls almost 24/7. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Destructobot Posted November 27, 2009 Members Share Posted November 27, 2009 Just to keep the alternative in mind, here's some photos of coal mines and coal fired power plants. Which would you rather have in your county, wind farms or this? Mountain-top removal mines in the Appalachians. The material removed is literally dumped into the valleys, burying entire streams beneath toxic rubble that leaches heavy metals into the remaining watershed. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountaintop_removal_mining I'd rather have a million wind turbines than ONE of these things: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Fender&EHX4ever Posted November 27, 2009 Author Members Share Posted November 27, 2009 I'd rather have a million wind turbines than ONE of these things: +1,000,000 No elegance at all. I think everyone should agree that this sucks too: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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