Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Gas against Wind (Power)
New Geography ^ | Nov. 3, 2011 | Matt Ridley

Posted on 11/03/2011 7:30:02 PM PDT by TenthAmendmentChampion

Which would you rather have in the view from your house? A thing about the size of a domestic garage, or eight towers twice the height of Nelson’s column with blades noisily thrumming the air. The energy they can produce over ten years is similar: eight wind turbines of 2.5-megawatts (working at roughly 25% capacity) roughly equal the output of an average Pennsylvania shale gas well (converted to electricity at 50% efficiency) in its first ten years.

Difficult choice? Let’s make it easier. The gas well can be hidden in a hollow, behind a hedge. The eight wind turbines must be on top of hills, because that is where the wind blows, visible for up to 40 miles. And they require the construction of new pylons marching to the towns; the gas well is connected by an underground pipe.

Unpersuaded? Wind turbines slice thousands of birds of prey in half every year, including white-tailed eagles in Norway, golden eagles in California, wedge-tailed eagles in Tasmania. There’s a video on YouTube of one winging a griffon vulture in Crete. According to a study in Pennsylvania, a wind farm with eight turbines would kill about a 200 bats a year. The pressure wave from the passing blade just implodes the little creatures’ lungs. You and I can go to jail for harming bats or eagles; wind companies are immune.

(Excerpt) Read more at newgeography.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: communist; energy; globalwarming; hoaqueens; nimby; power; propertyrights; windturbines
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-26 next last
Great article.
1 posted on 11/03/2011 7:30:07 PM PDT by TenthAmendmentChampion
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: steelyourfaith

ping


2 posted on 11/03/2011 7:40:55 PM PDT by TenthAmendmentChampion (I have a job; therefore I am in the 1%.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TenthAmendmentChampion; Nervous Tick; SteamShovel; Tunehead54; golux; tubebender; Fractal Trader; ..
Thanx for the ping TenthAmendmentChampion !

 


Beam me to Planet Gore !

3 posted on 11/03/2011 7:59:19 PM PDT by steelyourfaith (If it's "green" ... it's crap !!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: TenthAmendmentChampion

As I recall , wind turbines need to stay moving , even when there is no wind , in order to prevent the turbines from ‘freezing up’. As a result , they use electricity to keep moving when they are not rotating, or there is inadequate wind ; isn’t that correct ?


4 posted on 11/03/2011 8:03:49 PM PDT by Tilted Irish Kilt ( All of this hope and change has turned into Franks and Beans.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TenthAmendmentChampion
Why should it be an either/or choice, wind or gas, why not both?

So much anti-wind misinformation in this article.

5 posted on 11/03/2011 8:14:26 PM PDT by DTogo (High time to bring back the Sons of Liberty !!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TenthAmendmentChampion

If we are smart we will move to NG as vehicle fuel. There is plenty for transport and home heating into the foreseeable future.

This is no different than what Brazil did in going to sugarcane based ethanol, except NG is better.


6 posted on 11/03/2011 8:15:16 PM PDT by X-spurt
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TenthAmendmentChampion

Really good article. Thanks!


7 posted on 11/03/2011 8:18:44 PM PDT by Amadeo
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TenthAmendmentChampion

I would live next to a hydrothermal vent first off, use steam.

Next choice would be a year round constant water supply or an alpine lake that I can get a sluice box or pipe to create hydroelectric power.

Third would be solar, last would be wind.

Geography is the dealer in the whole deck.

And if I was fortunate to have my own natural gas well or a methane collection facility I would use CNG in my vehicles.

For my motorcycle I would make a still using sawgrass and run it on ethanol.


8 posted on 11/03/2011 8:23:21 PM PDT by Eye of Unk
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TenthAmendmentChampion

It’s my property—not yours, Lefty. Look at your backside for “open space”—not my place.


9 posted on 11/03/2011 8:27:55 PM PDT by familyop ("Wanna cigarette? You're never too young to start." --Deacon, "Waterworld")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TenthAmendmentChampion

And BTW, most state politicians and their favored constituents are commies, too. Starve the beast.


10 posted on 11/03/2011 8:30:25 PM PDT by familyop ("Wanna cigarette? You're never too young to start." --Deacon, "Waterworld")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DTogo
"Why should it be an either/or choice, wind or gas, why not both?

So much anti-wind misinformation in this article.
"

Because the proponents of Agenda 21, "sustainable growth," etc., are looking at our land more than theirs--looking to see what they can outlaw next on our properties. One County not far from mine outlawed all but certain certified/authorized brands of turbines and all heating collectors that aren't SRCC certified/approved (Florida lab off all places, and they run too hot for good water heating and drain-back space heating systems).


11 posted on 11/03/2011 8:37:02 PM PDT by familyop ("Wanna cigarette? You're never too young to start." --Deacon, "Waterworld")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Tilted Irish Kilt

Not correct. Steam turbines (and, I think, gas turbines) use “turning gear” to keep the shafts rotating at slow speed after shut down. This prevents the very large turbine shafts from developing a permanent bow. There’s no such need for wind turbines.

However, I believe heaters are used to maintain the correct viscosity of the lubricating oils at very low temperatures in shut-down machines.


12 posted on 11/03/2011 8:39:02 PM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: familyop
"sustainable growth,"

Code words for eco-socialist utopia.

13 posted on 11/03/2011 8:50:22 PM PDT by DTogo (High time to bring back the Sons of Liberty !!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: DTogo

Stop the subsidies and the toxic production (was that part true?) and I would agree. My husband’s grandfather had a windmill to pump water up at their old ranch in Mariposa County.


14 posted on 11/03/2011 9:51:18 PM PDT by TenthAmendmentChampion (I have a job; therefore I am in the 1%.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Amadeo

You’re welcome, glad you liked it. I learned some new things from it, but I’m no expert.


15 posted on 11/03/2011 9:52:25 PM PDT by TenthAmendmentChampion (I have a job; therefore I am in the 1%.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: TenthAmendmentChampion

The Texas experience is everything that you need to know about wind power. Texas has the largest wind capacity in the country about 10,000 MW at peak capacity. However, Texas needs power most during the late afternoons during its summer months. During peak energy times this summer, wind plants were producing less than 1,000 MW. For a $10B investment in wind power, Texas only receives less than the output of one conventional power plant when the energy is most necessary.


16 posted on 11/03/2011 9:54:11 PM PDT by businessprofessor
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TenthAmendmentChampion

With just the headline, I thought it would be about my dog passing gas, it is powerful also...PU


17 posted on 11/03/2011 10:02:19 PM PDT by goat granny
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TenthAmendmentChampion
The one thing that this article fails to mention in favor of wind, as most anti-wind articles do, is that while wind is inconsistent and currently more expensive that natural-gas generated electricity, wind energy can be sold at a fixed price for a 20 year period. Nat gas is currently very cheap and plentiful, but can (and has) become very expensive, which is passed on the consumer. Wind is free.

Hence, I like the "both" approach (or an "all of the above" national energy policy) much like one would balance their investment portfolio.

18 posted on 11/04/2011 7:05:30 AM PDT by DTogo (High time to bring back the Sons of Liberty !!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: DTogo
So much anti-wind misinformation in this article.

Why don't you point point out the specific "misinformation" you are referring to?

19 posted on 11/04/2011 7:53:20 AM PDT by dearolddad
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: All


Just A Reminder
Please Don't Forget
To Donate To FR

Sponsoring FReepers are contributing
$10 Each time a New Monthly Donor signs up!
Get more bang for your FR buck!
Click Here To Sign Up Now!


20 posted on 11/04/2011 7:54:10 AM PDT by musicman (Until I see the REAL Long Form Vault BC, he's just "PRES__ENT" Obama = Without "ID")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-26 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson