Well, for one thing, they are hell on birds. And they are noisy.

But no-one can hear them if they're out at sea.

I'm sorry about the birds. I'm very fond of birds.

Birds have adapted to the noise of city traffic, smog and other pollution. In my city we have wild ducks, swans,seagulls,falcons, and hawks, as well as an occasional bald eagle or two. Certain songbird species, such as cardinals now winter over in Boston. We also have jet aircraft and helicopters galore that carry patients to the Massachusetts General Hospital, not to mention the constant sirens of police, fire and ambulance crews. The birds do not seem to mind a bit.
I do not think that birds will mind the noise of wind generators too much. I do think that boaters might find them somewhat inconvenient, though.

It's not the noise of the wind turbines, it's the turning of the wind turbines. If they are in a migration path, they'll literally chew up a flock of birds.

This study seems to allay fears in that direction:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4072756.stm

This is really interesting! I know almost nothing of offshore wind farms--I don't know of any in the US. I've seen several on land, and I know that one in California had a lot of problems with birds.

I live in an area that gets more than 300 sunny days per year, so solar is a much more logical thing for us; I haven't looked much into wind energy.

We have a lot of wind-mills here on Saaremaa and the island is also a major resting stop on the migration path of thousands of birds and we have seen no great incidence of birds harmed by the turbines. They learn to avoid them.

What a super photo!!!

Thanks

I think the post denotes where an under sea power cable of some kind comes to the shore. It looks like one anyway, we had a lot of them where I grew up. :)

That makes sense. I suppose I've seen things like this before and just taken them for granted.

I do prefer wind farms out at sea to spoiling the view on the hills, but we do need some way of generating electricity. Personally I like hydro-electric. That's effective here in Wales where we have lots of rain and plenty of hills for it to run down. :)

You see, I don't think they do spoil the hills. Whenever I see a bunch I immediately think, "Wow, photo-opportunity!"

I reckon we should be exploiting all our natural resources- wind, rain, sun and streams...

That is a great photograph. Especially with the smalll child in the foreground and the wind farms behind.

Thanks.

This is beautiful. The child puts all the rest into perspective.
The wind farms here in Spain tend to be up across ridges. I also think they're beautiful and especially when you're driving along the secondary roads with hills all around you, you go over a rise and see a wind farm stretched out along a ridge ahead of you.

Edited at 2008-09-21 06:29 pm (UTC)

Thanks.

They're going up on the hills all round here. I'm glad we agree about how beautiful they are. I don't think it's the majority view.

It's most definitely not a majority view and people here complain about them all the time. I think they're a combination of grace and power and rather like the look of the new stylized windmills. The traditional ones have their place in history and I also like seeing the ones Don Quixote supposedly fought as we drive through La Mancha.

"Grace and power" sums it up exactly. I think the wind turbine is a masterpiece of modern design.

I think wind farms are pretty, too. :)

Excellent.

People hate them because they find them strange- but I reckon this will change.

I love wind farms, always have. There's something beautiful about them, turning a corner and catching the sweep of the blades which is just wonderful.

That's a fabulous photo too - the child really makes the photo, balancing nicely against the tall sticky-up thing.

Thanks. I shot three frames very quickly while the kid was in the optimum position. #3 nailed it.

I take a childish delight in wind farms. There's a new one gone up on the hills near here and some time soon I want to go and stake it out with my camera.

Senator Lamar Alexander said modern windmills were "tacky." I totally disagree with him. Even T. Boone Pickens, the famous wealthy advocate of alternate fuels, won't have them on his own ranch.