Wind Power - The Good, The Bad, The Ugly
From the people who live with giant wind generators
We all want cheap renewable energy like wind power, and it's good for the environment. Yet it should be accomplished in an honest way with as little impact on the community as possible.
If you own property with a half a dozen of them you are probably happy with the $6000 windfall per unit (pun intended). If not and your property value plummets because of the noise and constant blade shadow flicker, you will be among those grumbling.
Below is a three part video showing the reactions of the residents in and around Tug Hill, New York. The three segments run a total of about 20 minutes.
The Voices of Tug Hill, Part 1 of 3
The Voices of Tug Hill, Part 2 of 3
The Voices of Tug Hill, Part 3 of 3
For more reading: U.S. Boosts Wind Power Output As Politics, Costs Favor Its Use
And in my own state of Wisconsin: Wind power on hold: Trempealeau County extends moratorium. The holdup seems to be putting up with the noise, and shadow flicker.
Oil, gas and coal has poisoned our food and water here in Louisiana and the Gulf coast. Our aquifers that store water to be tapped in rural and municipal wells has become contaminated from the drilling and wastes of the fossil fuel industries. Birds and other wildlife, people and pets die as a result of the oilfield wastes, including so-called production waters, which contain significant levels of toxic hydrocarbons and heavy metals, and radionuclides (at higher levels than nuclear power plants). These constituents of oil and gas drilling cause cancer in animals and humans. It is a proven that radionuclides contribute to bone cancer, and as with the other cancers, based on the weight of evidence, they have been identified through myriad of studies submitted to the World Health Organization International Agency for Cancer Research.
We are giving up our lives so that others can have government subsidized energy. We are also giving up clean air and clean water, and there are visual impacts for many. Money comes only the landowners who also own the mineral rights. The oil and gas industry benefits, we lose on fundamental rights.
The coal industry has been leveling mountains, poisoning streams and killing wildlife. They have acidified the rain/snow and the waters, as well as the oceans. The chemicals released from the burning of coal cause cancers, neurological including brain damage; contaminate fish and animals and people who eat fish. All sorts of irreversible damage to public health and wildlife is caused from the burning (and mining) of coal. Plus, many of the poisons are carried by agriculture across state (and country) boundaries to your table.
Nuclear can also poison our air, food, water, and bodies due to accidents and the waste, the latter of which is around for thousands of years. The impacts are the same as the coal and oil industries and include increased risk of bone cancers, contaminated soil, agriculture, waters and air.
But, we all use energy. Some use energy for frivilous uses such as snow mobiles, SUV's. We need to spread the deterimental effects of energy as well as the benefits to all people, everywhere.
Living near windmills could not be worse than living near oil and gas rigs, airports, freeways --all of which are noisy and visual blights. Yet, the oil industry which has driven up the price of oil is benefitting at the public trough via the U.S. Petro-presidency.
Alternative energy is needed now!
Some fuels, such as natural gas and nuclear power, as well as being toxic in their own right, are dependent upon huge quantities of water. This may not seem to be a problem if there is plenty of clean water to be had, but it is a problem with large populations and with drought conditions.
There are far more negatives with fossil fuels and nuclear power than there is with alternative fuels such as harnessing the wind.
I appreciate hearing the story told by NIMBY's in upstate New York, or reading NIMBY stories off Cape Cod as to wind power. However, birds and other wildlife are reduced due to the fossil fuel industry, as well.
Additionally, there is significant toxic metals including mercury, arsenic, cadmium and lead in fossil fuels, with coal having the most. These toxic metals are released into the air and come down with precipitation. They build up in agriculture and collect in the bodies of wildlife and humans, including the unborn where they cause devastating effects to our health.
Health care costs rise as more and more people become ill from these and other toxic chemicals. Physicians are taught to treat symptoms, not cure disease. Often, prevention is the best resource to preventing disease. Preventing disease in my opinion, does not include modern medicine. But, it does include environmental protection.
There are many problems with various forms of energy. But, some are more detrimental to life than others.