Re: Wind power

[Les Fraley <les@lamar.ColoState.EDU>]

On Tue, 15 Dec 1998, George T. O'Bannion wrote:

> Proponents of wind power should consider two problems:
> 
> 1. Slowing of the earth's rotation due to the increased drag of the
> turbines against the air. The force exerted by each turbine would not be
> great per day, but to those who would require an armed guard over
> nuclear waste for 250,000 years, the accumulated forces would be
> appreciable over that time.
George,
  Can you supply some values by assuming an amount of generation that
might take place and calculating the energy that must be extracted from
the wind to generate that much energy?
> 
> 2. The change in velocity of the prevailing winds caused by the turbines
> could seriously affect the local weather patterns causing many
> geological, physical, emotional, and social changes. As we know all
> change is harmful.
  Two factors here. First, I doubt that change in local weather patterns
would be significant compared to the changes that take place as a result
of large cities (and the change would be slow). Second, wind, per se,
causes significant emotional problems for many persons living on the
prairie and a reduction in wind speed might be of some benefit for them.

Just some thoughts on the subject.
Les Fraley
les@lamar.colostate.edu
> 
> G.T.O'Bannion
> 
> 
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