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Originally Posted by t vago
Well, a lot of other people here are doing just that, and it doesn't seem to bother them.
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This is a kindergarten answer. "Look what he's doing . . . !". I make an appeal for discussion, and this is what you respond with?
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You don't know that for certain. If you are claiming with absolute certainty that you do, you are either a). trying to sell something, or b). acting on faith. In either case, such a position has nothing to do with discussing the future of energy.
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It has EVERYTHING to do with energy discussions and the need to start something NOW.
This is simple science. This is not global warming. We know where fossil fuel deposits tend to be found. We have a good idea where they come from and we know that they are not being rapidly replaced outside of a very small amount of abiotic oil. We also know we are using it up at an increasing rate. I can think of no reason to doubt the above. Do you? If you do, please discuss. This has little to do with sales or faith.
The "peak oil" people keep setting deadlines for apocalypse as if their next movie contract depends on it. But, their premise is sound. Someday, be it sooner or later, our growing fossil fuel use will eclipse the discovery and production. Well before the very last drop is used up, our society will be under duress. If history is any indication, humanity tends to do ugly things when resources become scarce.
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And it's strange that nobody has actually challenged the sheer number of abandoned wind turbines that currently exist. 14,000? All of the articles I've read so far, that supposedly "debunk" this number, use the same kind of hand-waving and emotional outbursts in an attempt to change the subject away from the fact that there were in fact at least 14,000 abandoned wind turbines in existence in the US. "They screwed it up in the past, but We'll Get It Right This Time!" Oh, please. "14,000 wildlife-killing, decaying, polluting eyesores are surely better than the status quo." Really?
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I do not attempt to debunk those facts. I see the ugly reminders of the mistakes on a weekly basis. But, I also see the results of lessons learned. Those derelict turbines were poorly sited in some instances with too many unproductive dead days. Wildlife interaction studies were not sufficient in many instances to minimize bird kills. Poor design of the turbines themselves resulted in expensive field repairs meaning many sit silent because something as simple as a bearing race cannot be replaced without a complete take down and dis-assembly.
As far as being eye sores? I consider them beautiful! The new Siemens towers along the Palm Springs Corridor are graceful and serene as they lazily spin reaching hundreds of feet into the sky. My wife doesn't even consider them as we race past to park at the Indian Gaming casinos which I consider to be the real eye sores.