Who wants to learn about wind turbines.
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slybri19
Commissioner of the NFL – Roger Goodell
Joined: August 7th, 2004, 4:47 am Posts: 10989 Location: Sterling Heights, MI
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 Re: Who wants to learn about wind turbines.
Sorry, but I can't resist: Fox News wrote: Energy in America: Dead Birds Unintended Consequence of Wind Power Development By William La Jeunesse Published August 16, 2011 | FoxNews.com As California attempts to divorce itself from fossil-fueled electricity, it may be trading one environmental sin for another -- although you don't hear state officials admitting it. Wind power is the fastest growing component in the state's green energy portfolio, but wildlife advocates say the marriage has an unintended consequence: dead birds, including protected species of eagles, hawks and owls. "The cumulative impacts are huge," said Shawn Smallwood, one of the few recognized experts studying the impact of wind farms on migratory birds. "It is not inconceivable to me that we could reduce golden eagle populations by a great deal, if not wipe them out." California supports roughly 2,500 golden eagles. The state's largest wind farms kill, on average, more than 80 eagles per year. But the state is set to triple wind capacity in the coming years as it tries to become the first state in the nation to generate 33 percent of its electricity from clean energy sources by 2020. "We would like to have no bird deaths and no bird injuries. But, once again, we have to balance all the needs of society. All the people who want to flip their switch and have electricity in their homes," said Lorelei Oviatt, Kern County planning commissioner. Kern County has identified some 225,000 acres just north of Los Angeles as a prime wind resource area. Unfortunately, the area's rolling hills and mountains are prime hunting grounds for raptors and a layover spot for migratory birds traveling between Canada and Mexico. The updrafts enjoyed by birds of prey are ideal for generating power. "I'm not against wind power -- it is a viable form of energy generation -- but it needs to be developed more carefully," Smallwood said. Case in point: In the Bay Area, when activists in the 1980s demanded a cleaner planet, the state responded with the Altamont Pass Wind Resource Area. The state-approved wind farm, built with federal tax credits, kills 4,700 birds annually, including 1,300 raptors, among them 70 golden eagles, according to biological reports generated on behalf of the owners. Smallwood said replacing the small, older turbines with larger blades has cut some species fatalities roughly in half. Oviatt said Kern County is trying to learn from Altamont's mistakes. "We're requiring full environmental impact reports, which take at least 12 to 18 months," Oviatt said. "Can I promise that a bird will never be injured or killed? I can't. But again, we have this tradeoff in society, between the things we need to function as an economy and the fact that we wanna make sure we have an environment for future generations." Pine Tree is one of the wind farms in Kern County and is operated by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. According to an internal DWP bird and bat mortality report for the year ending June 2010, bird fatality rates were "relatively high" at Pine Tree compared to 45 other wind facilities nationwide. The facility’s annual death rate per turbine is three times higher for golden eagles than at Altamont. "Politics plays a huge role here," Smallwood said. "Our leaders want this power source so they're giving, for a time being, a pass to the wind industry. If you or I killed an eagle, we're looking at major consequences." Smallwood and others say it is almost inconceivable the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which enforces the U.S. Endangered Species Act, the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, hasn't acted. "There's a big, big hypocrisy here," Sue Hammer of Tehachapi Wildlife Rehab in Kern County said. "If I shoot an eagle, it's a $10,000 fine and/or a vacation of one to five years in a federal pen of my choice." She's not far off from the reality. In 2009, Exxon pleaded guilty to causing the deaths of about 85 migratory birds in five states that came into contact with crude oil in uncovered waste tanks. The fine for this was $600,000. Likewise, PacifiCorp, an Oregon utility, owed $10.5 million in fines, restitution and improvements to their equipment after 232 eagles were killed by running into power lines in Wyoming. And in 2005, the owner of a fish hatchery was ordered to serve six months in a federal halfway house and pay a $65,000 fine for shooting an eagle that was feeding at his uncovered hatchery. Wind power in the U.S. generates 41,400 megawatts of electricity. California represents just a fraction of that total, suggesting the number of raptor kills is considerably higher nationwide. Yet according to records, USFWS has not prosecuted a single company for violating one of the many statutes protecting threatened and endangered birds. Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/08/ ... z1VFLQ3WdBI think they all should be put in jail beginning with steensn who could be introduced to Bubba. 
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August 16th, 2011, 9:50 pm |
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steensn
RIP Killer
Joined: June 26th, 2006, 1:03 pm Posts: 13429
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 Re: Who wants to learn about wind turbines.
Again... bad planning isn't the fault of the technology. Keep going, I'll keep saying it. More birds are killed each year per MW by all other main forms of power production. Not worried about isolating one because people want to hate it.
_________________ regularjoe12 - "You are crackin me up! really! HILARIOUS um let me quote some intellgent people in this coneversation: Steensn:"
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August 16th, 2011, 10:30 pm |
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slybri19
Commissioner of the NFL – Roger Goodell
Joined: August 7th, 2004, 4:47 am Posts: 10989 Location: Sterling Heights, MI
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 Re: Who wants to learn about wind turbines.
But the other forms of energy are operating 100% of the time, while those windmills only work on a breezy day. Factor that into your equation. Besides, autopsies aren't performed on every dead bird, but the environazis just assume that it died because of a coal or nuke plant without any evidence. Those stats are nothing but garbage. Those idiots even include bird deaths from cars or trucks or natural causes within 10 miles of an energy plant in those stats. The left/environazies/commies have no shame. P.S. I hope you enjoy Bubba! 
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August 17th, 2011, 1:10 am |
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steensn
RIP Killer
Joined: June 26th, 2006, 1:03 pm Posts: 13429
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 Re: Who wants to learn about wind turbines.
Blah Blah Blah... come on Sly you can do better than that. Triple the output of the wind turbine and you STILL don't even touch them. Don't waste your time with the nonsense... just shows how little thought goes into attempting to shoot a hole in the idea that we an harness power from other sources of energy.
_________________ regularjoe12 - "You are crackin me up! really! HILARIOUS um let me quote some intellgent people in this coneversation: Steensn:"
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August 17th, 2011, 9:39 am |
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regularjoe12
Def. Coordinator – Teryl Austin
Joined: March 30th, 2006, 12:48 am Posts: 4212 Location: Davison Mi
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 Re: Who wants to learn about wind turbines.
wheres WJB? isn't this the part where he normally chimes in and states how ugly the wind trubines are? somehow this convo feels incomplete! 
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August 17th, 2011, 12:51 pm |
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steensn
RIP Killer
Joined: June 26th, 2006, 1:03 pm Posts: 13429
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 Re: Who wants to learn about wind turbines.
I can sum up the ridiculousness of this thread in one funny image: 
_________________ regularjoe12 - "You are crackin me up! really! HILARIOUS um let me quote some intellgent people in this coneversation: Steensn:"
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August 17th, 2011, 1:49 pm |
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wjb21ndtown
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 Re: Who wants to learn about wind turbines.
regularjoe12 wrote: wheres WJB? isn't this the part where he normally chimes in and states how ugly the wind trubines are? somehow this convo feels incomplete!  Yea, they shouldn't be there in the first place... Man they're ugly! 
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August 18th, 2011, 5:57 pm |
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steensn
RIP Killer
Joined: June 26th, 2006, 1:03 pm Posts: 13429
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 Re: Who wants to learn about wind turbines.
And they blow buildings over and caused the tsunamis in Africa...
_________________ regularjoe12 - "You are crackin me up! really! HILARIOUS um let me quote some intellgent people in this coneversation: Steensn:"
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August 18th, 2011, 6:25 pm |
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wjb21ndtown
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 Re: Who wants to learn about wind turbines.
I think they're causing those wind storms in Phoenix
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August 19th, 2011, 12:19 pm |
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TheRealWags
Megatron
Joined: December 31st, 2004, 9:55 am Posts: 12534
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 Re: Who wants to learn about wind turbines.
wjb21ndtown wrote: I think they're causing those wind storms in Phoenix Dammit! I was wondering what was causing those Haboobs, now I know 
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August 19th, 2011, 3:00 pm |
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regularjoe12
Def. Coordinator – Teryl Austin
Joined: March 30th, 2006, 12:48 am Posts: 4212 Location: Davison Mi
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 Re: Who wants to learn about wind turbines.
lmao! there now this thread feels better! seeya'll here again next month! lol 
_________________ 2013 Lionbacker Fantasy Football Champion
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August 19th, 2011, 9:22 pm |
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slybri19
Commissioner of the NFL – Roger Goodell
Joined: August 7th, 2004, 4:47 am Posts: 10989 Location: Sterling Heights, MI
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 Re: Who wants to learn about wind turbines.
Here we go again: Daily Caller wrote: Obama: $43m more for ‘wind energy’ green jobs Published: 12:47 PM 09/08/2011 By Matthew Boyle - The Daily Caller President Barack Obama’s administration rolled out a spending-heavy green energy package Thursday morning, just hours before the economically embattled chief executive will give his “jobs plan” speech to a rare joint session of Congress. The new Department of Energy (DOE) program will spend $43 million over the next five years to “speed technical innovations, lower costs, and shorten the timeline for deploying offshore wind energy systems,” according to a DOE release. “The U.S. has an abundant offshore wind resource that remains untapped,” Energy Secretary Steven Chu said in a statement. “Through these awards, the Department of Energy is developing the critical technology and knowledge base necessary to responsibly develop this resource, enhance our energy security, and create new clean energy jobs.” (RELATED: Solyndra officials made numerous trips to White House) The new spending package includes taxpayer funding for 41 different wind energy research and development projects. Funding recipients include several universities nationwide, consulting firms and energy companies like Duke Energy, a major democratic contributor. Pennsylvania State University is among those recipients, taking in $1.2 million of taxpayer cash to “develop a computer model ‘Cyber Wind Facility’ to generate data over an entire wind turbine farm both on and offshore simulating wind and wave impacts on wind turbine structures.” Pennsylvania State University’s professor Michael Mann was at the center of allegations that he manipulated data to exaggerate climate change. An internal investigation by Pennsylvania State cleared itself of wrong-doing. Another funding recipient, the Biodiversity Research Institute in Gorham, Maine, got $4.5 million to study the effects of offshore turbines on “bird, sea turtle, and marine mammal abundance and movement in the mid-Atlantic.” Obama has taken recent criticism for his administration’s continued use of government spending to spur economic growth. Americans for Limited Government spokesman Rick Manning told The Daily Caller this new Energy Department spending resembles the administration’s efforts to use taxpayer money to prop up now-failing solar company Solyndra, which was raided Thursday by the Federal Bureau of Investigations. “After the failure of the Solyndra solar venture capital effort, it’s shocking that Secretary Chu continues to want to play venture capitalist with taxpayer money,” Manning said in a phone interview. “If he [President Obama] truly wants to create jobs, he should immediately move to open up Shell’s Arctic oil leases as well as the Gulf for an immediate stimulus to America’s economy.” Institute for Energy Research state and regulatory affairs director Dan Simmons echoed Manning’s comments, adding that the Obama administration hasn’t learned its “green jobs” lesson yet. He said the program won’t create any “real jobs,” only ones that “survive as long as the government provides subsidies.” “We tried to warn them two years ago that following the Spanish green jobs model will not create jobs, but will waste taxpayer dollars and lead to a higher deficit and we have been proved right,” Simmons told TheDC. “Just look at the jobs numbers.” Ads by Google“There is a reason why private companies aren’t keen to invest in offshore wind and instead companies are turning to the feds for financing,” Simmons adds. “According to the Department of Energy’s own Energy Information Administration, offshore wind is twice as expensive as onshore wind and four times as expensive as advanced natural gas.” Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2011/09/08/obama ... z1XNsAsVcAOnce again, if wind power is so great, why does it need another $43M of taxpayer money?
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September 8th, 2011, 1:47 pm |
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wjb21ndtown
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 Re: Who wants to learn about wind turbines.
That much I can't disagree with... Why subsidize energy? Oil, wind, all of it... If it can't produce at an economically viable #, screw it...
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September 8th, 2011, 2:59 pm |
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steensn
RIP Killer
Joined: June 26th, 2006, 1:03 pm Posts: 13429
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 Re: Who wants to learn about wind turbines.
Same reason the gov't gives car manufacturers money to develope cleaner engines and oil manufacturers cheaper refining and drilling methods. It is what the gov't does, they try to "support" industry by helping fund research to improve technology (not talking about the bailout).
If you don't like it, point it out for everything else and stop just focusing on wind. Either you are FOR the basic idea that the better technology wins and gov't stimulation of taht technology developement allows for technology growth within it's borders or you are against it... instead fo clogging up just one very small piece of the puzzle.
By your own standards EVERY industry isn't viable because the gov't funds research in those areas. Heck, the medical community is going broke I guess huh?
You are hurting your point on wind by making crappy arguments against it that are WORSE everywhere else.
_________________ regularjoe12 - "You are crackin me up! really! HILARIOUS um let me quote some intellgent people in this coneversation: Steensn:"
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September 8th, 2011, 3:47 pm |
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TheRealWags
Megatron
Joined: December 31st, 2004, 9:55 am Posts: 12534
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 Re: Who wants to learn about wind turbines.
wjb21ndtown wrote: That much I can't disagree with... Why subsidize energy? Oil, wind, all of it... If it can't produce at an economically viable #, screw it... Agreed. You want to see more viable "green" and/or alternative energy choices? Then remove all subsidies from gas/oil and you'll see them PDQ as the price of gas would jump to ~$12/gallon 
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September 8th, 2011, 4:29 pm |
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