Firstly, a wind turbine company gets a cluster of activists and strikers on its doorstep after
announcing 625 job cuts:
The firm said it was planning to shut the Newport site as the wind turbine market in the UK was "not big enough".
Secondly, the National Marine Aquarium in Plymouth
scraps its 50ft high 6kW wind turbines after they discover that not only do they mince the local birdlife...
An aquarium in Devon has taken down two wind turbines after seagulls were killed when they collided with the blades.
...but they also don't provide good power either:
The aquarium also said they had not produced as much electricity as hoped.
Caroline Johnson, of the aquarium, said: "The major problems included where they were positioned.
"The eddying effect of the wind meant they weren't producing as much energy as they potentially could have.
Back to the drawing board, watermelons!
more like "the windmills were put up outside the entrance for show when we had lots of govt cash to build and maintain them. The cash has dried up, so we have to get rid of them, but can't use the excuse that they're pisspoor value for money".
ReplyDeleteThe best news for UK wind farms arrived in the early days when it was realised that we are the windiest place in Europe. As an Environmentalist I am sure that optimistic turbine equations would have been found wanting had they been seriously challenged before politics swooped upon the chance to commit a huge investment.
ReplyDeleteAs yet, massive technical problems, reliability issues, aesthetics and overall costs leave wind turbines with no redeeming features.
"more like "the windmills were put up outside the entrance for show when we had lots of govt cash..."
ReplyDeleteHeh! Indeed...
"As yet, massive technical problems, reliability issues, aesthetics and overall costs leave wind turbines with no redeeming features."
Well, apart from the most important one, from a watermelon's point of view: they are a great, big, visible 'I'm more devout than YOU!' symbol...
Beaten to the punch by both Optimistic Cynic and Dr Gray. I'll just add that the best description I ever read for wind turbines, and I can't recall where I saw it now, is "white elephants surrounded by dead birds".
ReplyDeleteNuclear power - No thanks, I mean yes please!
ReplyDeleteHere's a thought..has anyone from the RSPB done any research into the correlation of the increase in offshore windfarms versus the decrease in sea bird populations?
ReplyDelete