Ok, had to weigh in as BB you are getting a bashing on this one. Where to start.. too many posts jumping down BB's throat so I just pick to sum a few things up..
kozzie said.. “be interesting to see the environmental impact of the manufacture of the wind turbines.”
DG says...
As mentioned before, I am on the ground and go in to the BROAD SPECTRUM of companies that produce the parts for both sides of this debate.. So really, I find this argument null and void.
If you are going to have it at all, you would have to weigh in with a comparison of what it takes to generate using coal.. thus let’s talk about how it is dug out of the ground – the machines it takes, the trucks, diesel and electric engines used – don’t know if you have watched how one of those CATs are made..might scare you to know,
how about the amount of energy\water it takes to wash coal or even the process..then lets talk about the trains it takes to cart it or the ships.. then lets talk about the turbines.. that’s right.. it takes steam then needs turbines..where are they made?, what are they made of? What are they encased in? the list goes on and on and on and on..
kozzie said..
“ i understand the waste from making the magnets is quite catastrophic in its own right.”
DG says...
Honestly, don’t throw on a switch and turn anything on that’s electric as you are going to use a Magnet of some type…in fact you shouldn’t even be typing or using a computer or drive a car…as the materials to make it have hurt some poor sod that has made it for you..
Google is your friend before you come out blaming Windpower for all the woes of Magnets.
kozzie said..
“also i understand that the wind turbines aren't all that good for nearby wildlife and even humans?”
DG says...
Cough, cough, last time I was down a coal mine I found it a little hard to breath and the last time I looked in to one of the cleaning filters of a coal train coming off a 24 hour shift there was sure as hell a lot of dust in there that aren’t doing anyone any good..
As to birds getting killed.. here we go again.. lets get ride of all cars, trucks, airplanes, cats, humans as they all killed birds one way or another.. O lets get ride of the ships too.. as they kill fish as they churn through the water… Talk about greenies calling the kettle black..
BB, its still a new game.. come back to the debate in 10 years time..no point in fighting in a thread on HC about it. Time is on your side on this one..
THERE is going to be a mix- a hybrid of power generation.
GAS will replace a large % of Coal power generation at some stage in the near future.
Renewables are going to be one that is going to be around for the rest of our life time.
You have heard it before and you will hear it again.. Wind off-shore and on-shore, Solar have both hit and or are heading to zero sum game…
get used to it and enjoy the benefits of not living in the stone age as its too late to go back down that track now.
As to LJ, I was reading through the thread..(as a Neutral) and did not find BB comments condescending to you, then I hit your post and thought..WOW..Chill.. you asked a question… got an answer.. then throw a hissy fit..
In a broader sense your Question is a big one and unless you have access to data from multiply sources across multiply countries you are never going to work this out. As you said yourself.. “Each source is biased, be it in favor or not.”
Only a world organization or government committee is going to do this type of comparison. In fact it wouldn’t be too bad a thesis for some grad to be doing.
