News about Solar, Wind and alternative green power technologies

There is something rather uniquely beautiful about a wind turbine. One gets the feeling they are in a Science fiction program. It is fascinating to observe the three blades spinning silently as they convert kinetic energy from the wind into electric power. They produce a small turbulence that is often mistaken as a minor thunderstorm when tracked by Doppler weather radar.

As you watch the wind farms operate, you notice eventually that although the blades all turn at the same speed due to wind effect, they all are not in the same arrangement at the same time. Observing the asymmetric vision and dramatic motion an enthralling experience.

It seems that since wind power as an alternative to fossil fuel is so much cleaner and non polluting, one would expect to see far more wind farm operations across the nation. With the controversy, surrounding oil sand projects and coal fired power plants, why would wind power not be seen as a very viable alternative to these other sources. We also could include nuclear power facilities as iffy sources of energy.

For the majority of the continent wind availability is not going to be a problem, there is plenty in most regions. Global climate changes warrant a sober second look at wind power production over these other high polluting conventional sources of power. It makes sense even if the expenditure is more, to shift to wind power as an alternate source of energy given the cost to clean up the mess we have made from conventional power plants.

The mood surrounding wind power farm placement falls in both directions, some in favor and others not, of course this means debate for politicians, the public at large and for those directly affected. It also means legal wrangling in some fiery situations. Hard to understand those people who are against the wind power operations due to a visual rationale.

Many complaints are raised when wind farms are planned for offshore locations, which are quite silly since they could not be further out of the way, but the Nimby population knows no boundaries. NIMBY stands for – Not In My Back Yard – and one wonders how different these wind turbine towers are from hydro transmission and transfer lines that run through many neighborhoods. They certainly look better than the towers of draping cables.

In 2008, The power provider responsible for the grid in Quebec approved fifteen wind power farms. All to be constructed by eight different providers and installed between 2011 and 2015 generating 2004 megawatts of power. For the most part they will be out of the way of major public areas and are being presented for public evaluation and debate.

It comes as a surprise to see the protest against the wind turbines in several locations of Quebec where citizens are riled up regarding the wind farms locating in regional parks in the Appalachians area and other touristy area as bad for tourism.  It is as if the simple sight of the wind farms will be blight on the legitimacy and authenticity of the landscape wrecking any chance for sustainable development in the region.

What a strange quarrel these folks make. The wind turbines could be supported and marketed as being easy on the environment and if there ever was a sustainable form of energy to be developed, it is wind power. The NIMBY movement needs to give the planet a break and allow for the green shift to happen where it needs to.

Based on the reactions by many people, changing to alternate sources of energy will be a difficult process that hampers economies, both local and provincial/statewide. Change needs to occur and when there is no other choice, it may be too late. People need to Take a long hard look at these wind turbines, they really are a beautiful sight.