Huge new wind farm to be built off of Texas coast - 400 foot turbines!!!

[Engineer]

Originally posted by: SarcasticDwarf

Originally posted by: mchammer
Just don't put in major migration pathway, problem solved no?

For the most part. I like how everyone here immediately blames the environmentalists for expressing concern while they know nothing about the subject. If wind turbines are properly placed and designed, they do not pose much of a problem. If they screw it up, it causes major problems.

If my electricity bill goes up and my gas bill goes up and my heating bill goes up, it causes me major problems too. If they can build it to minimize effects, then great. If it causes problems, then I'm still for it. Hell, let's outlaw highways because of all of the roadkill in the US, eh?

 

[Dubb]

 

[myusername]

Total energy usage in the U.S is about 100 quad[rillion BTU] ...
... to produce 18 quads of wind power in the US by 2030 would require the installation of half a million state-of-the-art turbines, or roughly 20,000 per year. That is five times the current world production capacity for turbines.

The Party's Over
Richard Heinberg

Also, he notes that current generation turbines spin slower, reducing the risk of bird fatalities and they can operate in winds from 7 - 50 mph.

Regardless of whether there is a significant risk of wiping out bird species, it is a stain upon the human race that some people would intuitively mark the possibility of the event as of no importance. It's one thing to wreak havoc by blindly walking into something unaware (such as happened on previous installs), and another to research and know the possibilities and make an educated decision, however errant it is proved to be in hindsight. Neither of which come close to the utter despicability of ignoring both relevant data and any shred of conscience or humanity.

 

[quackagator]

Originally posted by: Engineer
Bah, just put a big ole chickenwire fence around the damn thing!

What he said

 

[da loser]

Originally posted by: S Freud
A judge owns the land that the wind farm was placed on where I lived.

i thought you couldn't own the beach? i'm pretty sure the money from this will go to the county.

 

[jjones]

Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
I know land-based turbines rack up their share of KILLING SPREE!!

lol, they should set up announcements for the windmill field and keep score. Killing Spree! Headshot! Multi-kill! Eagle Eye!

Could make for some great entertainment.

 

[Minjin]

Sounds to me like the turbines are to be placed in the area that yields the most/consistent wind. It makes sense that birds would also use the route that would provide the most tailwind. Guess they'll just have to make the decision between getting home quicker and possible death...and getting there just a little later. I'm sure they'll make the correct choice.

Mark

 

[CPA]

Originally posted by: Biggerhammer
Wow. The Big Oil state goes renewable. Cool.

Texas has many windmill farms, particularly in West Texas.

 

[kosstamogen]

Originally posted by: DaiShan

Originally posted by: myusername

Originally posted by: kosstamogen
"Some environmentalists said the spinning blades could kill countless rare birds that migrate through the area each year on their way to and from winter grounds in Mexico and Central America."

They should put these environmentalists in a pit with environmentalists who think coal/gas/nuclear/etc power plants should be banned and have them duke it out. Then have the W stomp them both out.

Btw I think solar power plants might burn large populations of birds as they reflect and concentrate the sunlight.
Rat powered cars would harm rats! We need a source of magical energy from a magical energy fairy land where everything is made out of chocolate and sweets!

It's called petroleum, and you and your ilk squandered it. Once we run out of energy and arable land and wildlife, you can feast on the body of my rotting corpse while you burn the Jews to keep your house warm.

Wow. Maybe that was a little extreme? LOL.

I'm sorry don't hurt me, we didn't means it.

Does anyone remember that speach from the first survivor at the end where that trucker chick says I hope the vultures pick your bones. Lol

 

[Jassi]

Originally posted by: da loser

Originally posted by: S Freud
A judge owns the land that the wind farm was placed on where I lived.

i thought you couldn't own the beach? i'm pretty sure the money from this will go to the county.

He's talking about Oregon not Texas.

 

[mercanucaribe]

The turbines are 400 feet for a reason... to protect the birds. They spin so slow that birds can fly through with no problem.

 

[Strk]

Originally posted by: myusername
It's called petroleum, and you and your ilk squandered it. Once we run out of energy and arable land and wildlife, you can feast on the body of my rotting corpse while you burn the Jews to keep your house warm.

K, seriously, wtf?

As for the actual topic, I'd say it is warranted to a certain extent. At least a study or two should be done to ensure that the impact would be minimal. You have to expect a certain amount of environmental impact, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try and minimize it. Either way, it's a nice step in the right direction.

 

[CrackRabbit]

Originally posted by: CPA

Originally posted by: Biggerhammer
Wow. The Big Oil state goes renewable. Cool.

Texas has many windmill farms, particularly in West Texas.

Yep, its kinda neat. You are driving through the middle of nowhere, then all of a sudden, there are lines of windmils on top of the mesas. They between Fort Stockton and Van Horn IIRC.

 

[mercanucaribe]

Originally posted by: CrackRabbit

Originally posted by: CPA

Originally posted by: Biggerhammer
Wow. The Big Oil state goes renewable. Cool.

Texas has many windmill farms, particularly in West Texas.

Yep, its kinda neat. You are driving through the middle of nowhere, then all of a sudden, there are lines of windmils on top of the mesas. They between Fort Stockton and Van Horn IIRC.

Well Texas is #1 for wind power.

 

[thecoolnessrune]

Originally posted by: jjones

Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
I know land-based turbines rack up their share of KILLING SPREE!!

lol, they should set up announcements for the windmill field and keep score. Killing Spree! Headshot! Multi-kill! Eagle Eye!

Could make for some great entertainment.

QFT! M-M-M-m-m-m-onster KILL!, LUDACRIS KILLZ! FLAK MONKEY! HOLY ******!

 

[Queasy]

Originally posted by: vi_edit
Classic NIMBY mentality.

F'em.

They've gone beyond NIMBY...they are now BANANAs (Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anything).

BTW South Padre Island is a great place to put these wind farms. Corpus Christi is near there and it is the second windiest city in America next to Chicago. Windsailing was extremely popular when I lived there in the early 90s.

 

[FoBoT]

the greenies won't be happy until we are living in caves and eating dirt

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

Windmills are going to be obsolete and aea nuisance. Wind towers that are vertical will be the future. They are quiet, opperate in a wider range of wind velocities and don't kill birds.

Demonstrates the tech:
http://www.awea.org/faq/vawt.html

But not what the future is. The future is VERY TALL versions of these that are probably as tall as current windmills. The future versions will not be as wide though.

 

[sao123]

Originally posted by: Forsythe

Originally posted by: sniperruff

Originally posted by: tennisflip
"Some environmentalists said the spinning blades could kill countless rare birds that migrate through the area each year on their way to and from winter grounds in Mexico and Central America."

I'm no evironmentalist but that's the first thing that came to my mind about the project without even reading the ariticle. I believe the same concern is being voiced about building the wall to separate us from Mexico since it would prevent migration of land based animals. If some birds get killed wouldn't that just count as natural selection?

not when a man-made blade cuts up the bird.

Yeah, i think you're not putting in how slowly these revolve, and if the movement itself wouldn't scare the birds away.

QFT... I live near a 12 windmill power farm up in west PA's mountain region...
These windmills dont rotate all that fast.

 

[Queasy]

I've had birds fly into my house windows and die. I guess since it is in a migration path I should go ahead and tear it down, eh?

 

[mchammer]

Originally posted by: Queasy
I've had birds fly into my house windows and die. I guess since it is in a migration path I should go ahead and tear it down, eh?

No, I don't think that would be advisable.

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: Biggerhammer
Wow. The Big Oil state goes renewable. Cool.

the state owns the land, er, sea that these things are on, so it's good for the state's revenue to do this. the state gets no revenue from the extraction of oil aside from normal taxes.




if these are off a remote part of padre, say, near port mansfield or off of kenedy county, they're not going to be an eyesore for anyone. and can you see a 400 foot narrow tower 10 miles out anyway?

 

[SarcasticDwarf]

Originally posted by: Engineer

Originally posted by: SarcasticDwarf

Originally posted by: mchammer
Just don't put in major migration pathway, problem solved no?

For the most part. I like how everyone here immediately blames the environmentalists for expressing concern while they know nothing about the subject. If wind turbines are properly placed and designed, they do not pose much of a problem. If they screw it up, it causes major problems.

If my electricity bill goes up and my gas bill goes up and my heating bill goes up, it causes me major problems too. If they can build it to minimize effects, then great. If it causes problems, then I'm still for it. Hell, let's outlaw highways because of all of the roadkill in the US, eh?

I suppose you are a supporter of hydroelectric dams then too.

 

[B00ne]

Originally posted by: tennisflip
"Some environmentalists said the spinning blades could kill countless rare birds that migrate through the area each year on their way to and from winter grounds in Mexico and Central America."

I'm no evironmentalist but that's the first thing that came to my mind about the project without even reading the ariticle. I believe the same concern is being voiced about building the wall to separate us from Mexico since it would prevent migration of land based animals. If some birds get killed wouldn't that just count as natural selection?

I really fail to see how a bird would manage to kill himself in a windfarm anymore than by flying into a house. It is not like those propeller spin like an airplane propeller - they only do around 10rpm.

 

[Tu13erhead]

Originally posted by: mercanucaribe
The turbines are 400 feet for a reason... to protect the birds. They spin so slow that birds can fly through with no problem.

That's what I figured, also.