maybe this altnernative energy is not so great.

[spirit wings]

Thought this may interest some...it is something I did not know untill I read this...good intentions sometimes are not thought through.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/...lls-usat_x.htm

[mr squeaks]

YIKES!! I had no idea about the dangers!

Thanks for the article! I sure hope something can be resolved!!

Shi

[rainbows]

That article was posted in Jan 2005. I do hope the companies have improved on the conditions in the nearly four years since.

[spirit wings]

Originally Posted by rainbows

That article was posted in Jan 2005. I do hope the companies have improved on the conditions in the nearly four years since.

if the wind is blowing and the turbines are moving, and a bird hits it.....I do not see how they can improve except to take them down.

[rainbows]

The improvement was to relocate them OUT of the paths of migrating birds and areas of nesting golden eagles.

[spirit wings]

Originally Posted by rainbows

The improvement was to relocate them OUT of the paths of migrating birds and areas of nesting golden eagles.

what about the rest of the birds, I figure if it is killing birds of any kind, not just migrating ones folks would not like that....I also think they ruin the natural landscape.....

[rainbows]

Everything on this planet, in one way or another, is a trade-off. I believe the resident birds would become aware of the windmills and avoid them, much as do the resident birds in our biggest cities have learned not to collide with the tall buildings. If the windmills were in areas not on the migration routes, there would be fewer birds killed as they adjusted to the windmills being in safer areas. The number of migrants killed by collision with tall buildings every year will blow your mind. This need not happen with the windmills as we are aware of the migratory routes and now we are aware of the dangers they present.

[spirit wings]

yea, I see....they don't power that many homes to have a good enough "tradeoff" for me......every year there are young that are not smart to the turbines....and not to mention they are ugly on the landscape in my opinion.....

[pdpbison]

Wider Blades of smaller circumfrence...would produce the same Horsepower in less wind, or more power in the same wind, at far lower RPMs, and would eliminate the danger to Birds.


The danger the Birds enounter, is that these enormous very narrow thin Blades turn at virtually subsonic tip-speeds...and were intended to.



Video of one disintegrating in high wind when it's brakes failed -


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLInrjUtFGI



Another Video...giving some idea how big these are -


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpGkT...eature=related