Unexpected Downside of Wind Power [wind turbines = bird cuisinarts]

Wired News | October 14, 2005

[John Jorsett]

Story can't be posted here due to copyright complaint, but it's interesting reading, so click this link to go directly to it. And by the way, 'unexpected' downside? Who couldn't predict that a rapidly-spinning blade in the sky would put the smackdown on birds?

[Calvin Locke]

Are there cats around to scavenge, also?

Catfish.

And crabs, crayfish, other bottom feeders.

And all the small fish that are normally preyed upon by the formerly larger fish....

[NormsRevenge]

Build more nukes (nulcear power plants)!

Save the birdies and the environment.

[Caipirabob]

Reducing the surplus avain population prior to an outbreak of "avian" carried flu would be a good thing, IMHO. Of course the Peta-philes will complain even louder.

[Calvin Locke]

And by the way, 'unexpected' downside?

With all this talk about avian flu, I'd call it an upside in having collection points for carcasses.

[stm]

If only we could build one that attracts libs like that light on your front porch attracts moths!!!

Bwahahahahahahahahahaaaaaa!!!!!

[Fierce Allegiance]

More nukes, less kooks!

[Keith in Iowa]

It's Natrual Selection at its best. Survival of the Fitteist. The dumb ones die...

[Sacajaweau]

The problem is these birds are on their cell phones. I hear them yakking all the time. Heck, I've even seen some who have exhibited road rage. It's terrible. We need laws to protect these tweets from themselves.

[CindyDawg]

580 birds? What's that? One cow? I don't want to unnecessarily harm any animal if it's safely and financially affordable but we are never going to have no loss systems. Even if we did though they still wouldn't be happy. The environment worshipers hate these spooky things.

[Sacajaweau]

I suppose these enviro idiots heat their homes with "hot air" and wash their clothes in the river.

[BigYellowDog]

On a rainy day, I just put a few bowls under the turbines. Instant Chicken Soup. I might start selling it. Capitalism at its best.

[TYVets]

If only we could build one that attracts libs like that light on your front porch attracts moths!!!

You have a great mind. Wonderful ideal.

Put a photo of Bill and Hilary behind the blades.

The spinning blades clear the ground by six inches.

As the libs are drawn to the Clinton base,,,,,,,,,

Donate the shoes to the shoeless.

[BigYellowDog]

Just keep the geese away. With the large tight formations they fly in, one mistake by the lead bird and they are all pureed. This would quickly skew the numbers.

[CindyDawg]

My husband just checked the mail. The electric bill here. It's almost 600 dollars. Can I get one of these for my back yard?

[Viking2002]

Let's see if we can nutshell the argument of the enviroNuts:

1) No fossil fuel. Greedy, evil, corporate Big Oil Republicans, toxic pollution, global warming, yada, yada, yada.....

2) No wind power. Pureed pidgeons, alters the local weather patterns, etc........

3) No nuke power. This one requires no 'splaining.

4) No hydroelectric power. Alters the hydrological topology, causes forest fires, poor fishies can't swim upstream to spawn, gives you bad breath and dandruff, blah, blah, blah......

We're down to what, 5), solar power, which is of dubious efficiency and prohibitively expensive on a large scale?

I propose that we build giant hamster wheels connected to the shafts of every power turbine in the nation, throw the ecoNazis inside, then slam the cage doors shut. Hang a mesh sack of pine nuts and tofu inside as bait. Then we're off the Arab oil teat, the environment is clean, and the tree huggers have a constructive use for a change.

Problem solved.

[Maximus_Ridiculousness]

Good point!

[TYVets]

Donate the shoes to the shoeless

Scrach that idea.

Sell the shoes. Capitalism at its best

[BigYellowDog]

Can I get one of these for my back yard?

Yes you can.

http://www.absak.com/alternative-energy/wind-energy.html

[SERUM10]

Blame it on the bunnies!! The canny critters know to hang out under the wind mills when spinning as quite a safe place to graze. Btw, this issue has been know for ten years at Altamont Pass but it conflicts with the state's goal of getting 20% generation from renewables so was ignored and/or suppressed.

[BigYellowDog]

Can I get one of these for my back yard?

Yes you can.

http://www.absak.com/alternative-energy/wind-energy.html