Tuesday 14 February 2012

What is wrong with windfarms?

Even if wind farms for electricity production do not consume fuel and have no CO2 emissions unlike fossil fuel-based power sources, they have environmental impacts (noise pollution, bird mortality...) and more importantly they cannot really make a meaningful contribution to quench the required energy of the growing world (for example wind turbines would have to cover Wales to supply a sixth of UK's energy needs, see http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/energy/windpower/9069267/Windfarms-An-ill-wind-of-change.html)... does it make sense to continue to subsidize these farms as opposed to fund proven and proper energy research and technology? ... for noise generated by the wind farms see for example: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/features/what-you-cant-hear-can-hurt-you/story-e6frg6z6-1226252801681 ... there are claims that there are other adverse health effects such as "sleep disturbance, vertigo, nausea, headaches", see http://www.sarniathisweek.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3439021 for example. This article on Wired Magazine is a good read detailing why different green technologies have not met their promise at least in US with some common features to other countries: http://www.wired.com/magazine/2012/01/ff_solyndra/all/1

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