Here’s a good article at Green Options on the “Cape Wind” fiasco. Basically the right wing fights the project because, well, its bad for the fossil fuel industry, and the Kennedy’s, who like to pass themselves as pro-environment and pro-renewable energy, are fighting it because it will spoil their view.
This is a rather hypocritical stance, and a very unfortunate one. Global warming may very well destroy the island they are on, which will render protecting the view a rather moot point. Not to speak of the millions of people in poor countries who’s livelihoods, if not their very lives, are at stake.
And the fossil fuel lobyists are spreading misinformation like “wind will never make a significant contribution”. Sure, wind is not the whole solution, but it is certainly a significant part of it. Some countries already produce 20% of their power through wind technology!
Personally I find those giant eolian generators very pretty. They are graceful and quiet machines that give me a warm fuzzy feeling thaty there is still hope for humanity and our planet. You can put one in my backyard any time!
I would plaster our planet with them all over the place.
Look at the flags at the top of buildings. There’s wind there. You don’t need a 100m wingspan on these buildings.
The top of the mountains (tall ones, specially) always has wind. Take a walk on the top of a mountain and notice how small the trees are: it’s windy. Talk to skiers.
Why ski stations don’t run on solar wind still amazes me! In the winter they would consume this energy to run the station, and in the summer, they could sell that energy back to the electric power plants.
Am I missing something, besides money?
Solar power in the deserts (all of them).
Wind power where wind everywhere else.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_power
Pat