Posted on 06/30/2008 1:59:21 AM PDT by saganite
Wind farms are springing up in Midwestern fields, along Appalachian ridgelines, and even in Texas backyards. They're everywhere, it seems, except in the windy coastal waters that lap at some of America's largest, most power-hungry cities. That's partly because the first large-scale effort to harness sea breezes in the U.S. hit resistance from an army led by the rich and famous, waging a not-on-my-beach campaign. For almost eight years the critics have stalled the project, called Cape Wind, which aims to place 130 turbines in Nantucket Sound about five miles south of Cape Cod. Yet surprisingly, Cape Wind has largely defeated the big guns. In a few months it may get authorization to begin construction. Meanwhile, a string of other offshore wind projects is starting up on the Eastern Seaboard, in the Gulf of Mexico, and in the Great Lakes.
Much of the credit—or blame—for this activity goes to Jim Gordon, the man who launched Cape Wind in 2000. His goal is to provide up to 75% of the electric power on Cape Cod, Nantucket, and Martha's Vineyard by tapping the region's primary renewable resource: strong and steady offshore breezes. He has methodically responded to every objection from Cape Cod property owners and sometime-vacationers, ranging from heiress Bunny Mellon and billionaire Bill Koch to former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and Senator Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.). "This is like trying to put a wind farm in Yellowstone National Park, as far as we're concerned," says Glenn Wattley, CEO of the Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound, the opposition's lobbying arm.
Since 2000, Cape Wind's Gordon has burned through $30million of his own wealth, much of it to pay for studies. The result is a four-foot-high stack of environmental reports, including three federal applications looking at the wind farm's potential impact
(Excerpt) Read more at businessweek.com ...
I wouldn’t call him a hero. He’s building govt subsidized windmills but he has shown fortitude when he could have hung it up long ago. If anything, this story serves as an object lesson in the hypocrisy of the so called environmentalists who promote green energy and turn around and oppose it when it’s inconvenient.
In the former Soviet Union, the party bosses, bigwigs and soviet bureaucrats were afforded special privileges and got a pass in obeying laws forced on the serfs. They shopped at special stores maintained just for themselves, built dachas and ate the finest foods while cannabalizing the people’s wealth at the point of a gun.
The liberal elites infesting our country are no different - rules are for the little people. About all that’s missing in Nantucket and the Vinyard are fat party generals wearing medals the size of saucers hanging down to their knees. This country is long overdue for a good house sweeping.
Somewhere, Howell Heflin is asking...”Oh, Lord. It’s bad enough Ted’s drillin’ offshore. You mean he’s fartin’ too?”
Last week, I flew over the North Sea-and noticed a real dichotomy. The first item of interest was an area that had about 50 oil tankers positioned just sw of the oil fields. about a mile or two north of these tankers was a wind farm, with about 100 giant windmills. I thought to myself, the “battle of electricity!”
You think that is bad, just wait until we have Socialized Medicine. The elites will get the very best of care and have transplant organs available on demand. Meanwhile, you and I will have to rely on some barefoot doctor imported from China.
A few years ago our school board voted to locate a new elementary building at a particular location. Just about 230 large was spent on the environmental study which found that the site was riddled with small caves and holes in the substrate making the site unsuitable for a building. The board members were happy the report found the potential problem but became dismayed when it was brought up that the rancher who owned the land had pointed out the caves in a newspaper interview.
So, like all of these studies, this one ends up in a safe somewhere never to be looked at again.
It’d be nice if they name the project “The Kennedy Windfarm” and he gets to live long enough to enjoy the view.
The real irony is that each of those oil tankers holds enough energy to produce 10-20 times the amount of energy as that windfarm. Those 100 windmills can each produce about 3.5 megawatts at peak efficiency but traditionally they operate at about 30% of peak. Since those were offshore they are probably somewhat more efficient and perhaps operate at 40% efficiency. That’s les than 150 megawatts or about 1/10th to 1/20th the power of an average powerplant.
The cost of windfarm cosntruction is proportional to the cost of crude oil. By delaying the Cape Cod windfarm project, Kennedy has ensured that it will cost about three times more to erect those 130 windmills than it would have 5 years ago.
Broom at the ready.
ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒE
I spent some money to travel to and see the Rockie mountains, as I currentlylive on the coast. While the pittance I spent on my vacation (last month)is less than chump change to members of our ruling class, it still means a LOT to me.
I was VERY unhappy to see these tall "bird cuisinarts" overshadowing the majesty and beauty of the mountains. The Rockies are a true natural wonder, and to be upstaged by such a trite and shallow work of man is tragic.
I am NOT a Luddite, but there is a place for pipe dreams. That place is most emphatically NOT between the view of travellers and God's most magnificent work.
To think I seriously considered these wind turbine things on *MY* farm horrifies me!
I too have some sprung up in my hometown of Meyersdale and Somerset Pennsylvania. Some of the first prototypes.
And I can not tell you, and the people here, how breathtaking they are. I LOVE them.
Quiet, sci-fi, awe-inspiring. To see a visual representation of power consumption is always stunning. They look very ... “Carl Saganesque”.
I welcome them.
Ah, those filthy stinkin’ rich. You can always count on them to screw over the average Joe.
It’s nice to see someone willing to try to take a different perspective on things. I like them too. They are certainly more attractive than cell phone towers!
I guess NIMBYism runs the political gamut: Ted, Mitt, even some FREEPers. Welcome to “can’t do” America.
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