Re: We love wind -- or do we?

["Jim Hoerner" <jim_hoerner@HOTMAIL.COM>]

>From: "High Plains Drifter" <magna1@jps.net>



>Do the math and physics.........if it takes more energy from fossil plants

>than is ever produced over the life of a alternative electrical generating

>system  (designing, fabricating parts, shipping of components, site

>construct, generator installation, life time maintenance activities, and

>disposal of the decommissioned system), where is the benefit?



The energy payback time of wind is not excessive and may even be better than 

gaseous diffusion based nuclear power for modern turbines - 

http://www.uic.com.au/nip57.htm



>Since wind

>farms are in areas with very low population density there is very little

>positive impact on the health of people living near the fossil plants that

>provided the energy.



Yes, and because wind power obeys the laws of physics and psychics (you 

cannot predict that the wind will be blowing when you need it), the fossil 

or nuke plants have to be built anyway.  Wind is not suitable for either 

baseload nor peaking power.  What it is good for is preventing some fuel 

burn, and making some people feel good about themselves.   Preventing the 

buring of certain fossil fuels like oil and methane is a nobel goal, IMO.



>Plus, they are an eye sore



I think they are beautiful as long as they are not in my backyard :-).



>and kill birds by the hundreds.



The amount of birds killed per household per year are very small.  Just like 

fish killed by nuclear power plants.  However, if you want to see visual 

proof of the dangers of wind power, you can go to 

http://photos.groups.yahoo.com/group/know_nukes/lst?.dir=/Wind (sorry must 

be a Know_Nukes member and logged into Yahoo for this link to work.  Yahoo 

stinks).



But if you want to see human deaths from wind power, you can visit 

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Know_Nukes_Archives/message/948 (anyone can 

view this link).  I leave it to the informed reader to convert this to 

deaths per kWh and compare it to nuclear.



>From: "Joan Stovall" <joans@PCEZ.COM>



>Several years ago, I derived equations and ran numbers for wind power.  My

>conclusions were that wind power is over-rated as a means of producing

>electric power.  The estimated costs were far in excess of what the wind

>power advocates claimed.



No number crunching required.  Buy "green" power, pay more.  And what you 

get (if you read the fine print) is typically landfill gas with a little 

wind mixed in.



Regards,

Jim

(mandatory sig follows, just this once)

Assistant to the Assistant Deputy

Department of Redundancy Department

Know_Nukes

--

Hold the door for the stranger behind you. When the driver in the adjacent 

lane signals to get over, slow down. Smile and say "hi" to the folks you 

pass on the sidewalk. Give blood. Volunteer.



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