Wind farm bliss

[Flying_Monkey]

If only the government money that is being poured into the concrete bases of the wind turbines was instead directed into getting us to reduce our consumption by 50%, or into new technology that doesn't waste power so much.

Oh well.

Yeah, and if we invested it in vineyards we'd have a world beating wine industry...

... and ooh, scary concrete bases, that's got to be nasty hasn't it?

This isn't really a very strong argument. The two things aren't incompatible, you know (energy efficiency and a mix of renewable / continuous sources)... we need proper energy, transport and planning policies that deal with the realities of climate change.

 

[GilesM]

Just before I came on here I was looking at the countryside around my village on Flash Earth looking for tracks we could ride. This is where I live, the village of Plains is in the top left corner:

http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=55.868606&lon=-3.884268&z=14.2&r=0&src=msa

We were out this morning checking out a little road/track my mate had spotted in Blackridge but there are lots of trails and routes you would never see from the ground. He's got satnav on his new phone now so there's no stopping us ;0)

Looks good, wherever you are in Scotland it never takes long to get out into fantastic and very remote countryside.

Giles

 

[Mr Pig]

wherever you are in Scotland it never takes long to get out into fantastic and very remote countryside.

I love it. Basically out of my door, round the corner and say hello to the sheep and horses :0)

Like everything else though, after a while you just take it for granted. It would be very hard to move to a city though, I'd hate it.

 

[Jaded]

This isn't really a very strong argument. The two things aren't incompatible, you know (energy efficiency and a mix of renewable / continuous sources)... we need proper energy, transport and planning policies that deal with the realities of climate change.

So, given you want both - tell me where all the consumption stuff is? Where exactly is this set of proper policies? All I see is a ROC fuelled dash to go green in generation alone.

Frankly your attitude is exactly the attitude that encourages Joe Public to go on consuming with impunity. Throw some lovely turbines up where only a few walkers go and everything will be alright. <rolls eyes>

 

[Smeggers]

The sheer quantity of wind farms needed to acheive even just 20% oif our energy requirement is unfeasible.

Despite whatever you think about them aesthetically, they are simply not practical and are only there to pay polictical lip service to the yoghurt knitters.

Edit: Point taken on the mountain biking bit - every cloud eh!

 

[Flying_Monkey]

So, given you want both - tell me where all the consumption stuff is? Where exactly is this set of proper policies? All I see is a ROC fuelled dash to go green in generation alone.

Frankly your attitude is exactly the attitude that encourages Joe Public to go on consuming with impunity. Throw some lovely turbines up where only a few walkers go and everything will be alright. <rolls eyes>

Don't be stupid - you sound like Linford now, you are just building a straw man to argue against. As it happens, I have been an environmental activist and campaigner since I was 16 and I was on the Green Party's national policy committee - so there's no way you are going to get away with silly little digs like that. And you'll know all of this is you have ever paid any attention to any of the discussions we have had on this forum and on Cycling Plus about energy, climate and so on.

 

[Jaded]

Don't be stupid - you sound like Linford now, you are just building a straw man to argue against. As it happens, I have been an environmental activist and campaigner since I was 16 and I was on the Green Party's national policy committee - so there's no way you are going to get away with silly little digs like that. And you'll know all of this is you have ever paid any attention to any of the discussions we have had on this forum and on Cycling Plus about energy, climate and so on.

Ah, that's OK then.

Well done!

PS, where are the proper policies, you missed that bit!

PPS, if I was sounding like Linford or SimonCC I'd have to take you to task for your flying. But I'm not. So I won't.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

PS, where are the proper policies, you missed that bit!

Do you mean where are this government's policies? Or what are my ideas?

In the former case, probably in the same place as their commitment to an ethical foreign policy and social justice, and for the latter - I will start a new thread in Politics rather than going on about it here. Ok?

 

[Jaded]

I'll remind you of your first post on a thread about MTBing near wind turbines.

I was just over in the Netherlands (not great MTB country), but it struck me how many people in the UK have bought into the anti-wind turbine propaganda.

Then you said this:

... and ooh, scary concrete bases, that's got to be nasty hasn't it?

So get off the high horse!

Ok:

Do you mean where are this government's policies? Or what are my ideas?

If your policies can influence consumption across the land as opposed to in your house, I'm interested in them.

Dealing with generation (primarily) before dealing with waste in consumption is just plain silly.

 

[PaulSB]

2. birds seems to have no problem with them at all

I have friend who has a windfarm on his Argyll farm ( I know how that sounds but it isn't the case!). I suppose the turbines have been there for 10-12 years now and it must have taken something like 5 years to get the planning permission. The area is famous for eagles and the RSPB objected to the turbines on the grounds eagles might be injured by the blades.

My friend has never forgotten the meeting at which the RSPB representative took him to one side and whispered in hushed tones..........."Between you and me we think the eagles will fly round the turbines not through them!"

 

[Flying_Monkey]

I'll remind you of your first post on a thread about MTBing near wind turbines.

Then you said this:

So get off the high horse!

What on earth are you talking about? I really don't know what your point is here. Perhaps you didn't get the obvious sarcasm in the second quote...

If your policies can influence consumption across the land as opposed to in your house, I'm interested in them.

Dealing with generation (primarily) before dealing with waste in consumption is just plain silly.

Who said anything about being in favour of only or primarily dealing with generation? You seem to assume quite a lot about what other people think - if you go over to the thread I have started about energy policy in Politics, you might learn something from the variety of different perspectives there, most of whom, including myself, do not fit your caricature. So try discussing what people actually say, not what you would like them to have said.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

My friend has never forgotten the meeting at which the RSPB representative took him to one side and whispered in hushed tones..........."Between you and me we think the eagles will fly round the turbines not through them!"

Indeed. I did actually do some research on the environmental impacts of windfarms as part of a course in EIA for my Masters degree, and bird strike has only been a problem in two particular (and now notorious) locations in Spain and California where wind farms had been built in narrow valleys on migration flight paths - and even then it was a temporary phenomenon - plus these farms were build before people conducted serious EIAs (whatever their flaws).

 

[Jaded]

FM - you appeared on this thread (about MTBing) going on about anti-windfarm propaganda.

So try discussing what you actually say, rather than obfuscating and feigning surprise. Alternatively, don't pop into MTBing threads with silly stuff about 'anti-wind turbine propaganda'.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

FM - you appeared on this thread (about MTBing) going on about anti-windfarm propaganda.

So try discussing what you actually say, rather than obfuscating and feigning surprise. Alternatively, don't pop into MTBing threads with silly stuff about 'anti-wind turbine propaganda'.

Actually, the thread was about MTBing on windfarms. Wind farms would therefore appear to be an essential part of the discussion.

I would like to respond to your second paragraph but it makes very little substantial sense and appears to be a rather poor attempt at a playground tit-for-tat.

There are two problems with your arguments here - one you set up straw men rather too readily, and then secondly, you get all incomprehensible and irrational when someone points this out. I'm neither obfuscating or feigning any kind of surprise -about what? where? please tell me - I'm afraid I can only answer points or questions that actually make sense.

 

[Jaded]

Anti-windfarm propaganda is nothing to do with MTBing. However long you have been in the Green Party!