Wazzzer

This is a big thing nationally with the governments ideas on renewable energy and over here at the mo with local islanders trying to stop the construction of a 3 turbine wind farm...

Just wondered what peoples views are on things like wind farms and the like...

I'm biased cos I make the blades for the turbines lol

Iain Mac

I like the idea, and think the big windmills are pretty cool to look at - don't know how noisy they are or if I'd want one in the field behind me.

My own belief is that windpower might save the owner some money, and I fancy getting a home-sized one for here, but I can see that we still need "proper" power stations on standby for the days when the windmills can't generate any power. I don't want to be cold just becasue there's no wind some frosty day, or freezing because it's blowing a blizzard outside!!

For that reason alone, I think that - long-term - wave power is a better option because the tides NEVER stop.

Turbo Zetec

iTrader: (1)

i kike the idea of windmills, people complain about them, but i bet they'd complain more if we had power cuts all the time because of lack of resources....

gus

iTrader: (1)

there was talk of building a wind farm just out from southend, couples of miles out to sea


not heard no more about it since but seems like a very good idea to me

Keith B

There are now so many people on the planet and so much energy demand that unless the population dramatically drops or we adopt renewable energy then things will develop that will force the population down anyway.
So I guess I'm voting yes for renewable

Eagle

iTrader: (2)

was watching something on the news today about the government issuing a carbon tax ..
works like a credit card .. you have a certain amount of points to start .. everytime you fill up or pay your leccy or gas bill you get points removed from it ..
then the more prudent of users can sell their points to you if you overspend ....

NOW wtf is that all about .. how the hell can they dictate on who is allowed to travel abroad by plane ... let alone how they can tell us how much energy we are allowed to use in our everyday lives ???



typical stupid government .. wont make the generation of power more efficient or build more nuclear power stations or greener fuels... so they want the users to be held accountable as they are incompetent

Keith B

Muppet! - Because on a singualr basis anyone can do what ever they want however once you scale things up and up other things take over - such as pollution, global warming etc etc.

Phil DJ

I like the idea of windfarms. I drive past one every day and i'm always looking at it as i go past. Can't hear any noise from the windmills either. Can't see why people are against it myself. big deal, they may be an eyesore but when the gas runs out they'll be the 1st to ask why there wasn't one put up near them!!!

Thrush

iTrader: (1)

I'm well up for renewable energy - if this country got sun all year round like it does at the mo, then I'd run everything off solar panels!

Dunno bout then hydro or dual power cars (with the leccy motor and normal engine - Prius is it?) tho.... They are a bit wank

Keith B

In some parts of Australia if you get Solar energy you can sell your electricity back to the government! Now thats pretty cool, not only do u have a tiny electric bill but you make cash whilst you're out of the house.
OK the British winter isnt going to allow us to do that but the summers are getting hotter and hotter so you never know it could be a goer!

A friend in Sweden spent a fair slice of cash having a bore hole drilled in his garden - he pumps water down and gets hot water out - so he never has to use gas for hot water. Nice bit of geothermal there!

leecavturbo

just had a £801 electrical bill so anything gotta be better
£1200 for the year

Keith B

801 quid?!

Wazzzer

Keith you can do that with electirc here, if you generate too much the National Grid have to buy it off you by law

Iain Mac - it only takes a 5mph wind to make the turbines spin, and when you think the towers are 100m high, there's normally wind up there all the time they have brakes inside the towers to stop the turbine spinning too fast as well...

Keep the comments coming

collierm

I drive past a small windfarm every day and I feel quite proud that my local area is doing its bit for renewable energy. When I've bought my house, we're looking at government grants for a small turbine for the house and also solar energy.

I'm all for renewables, but still believe Nuclear has a future as well.

Cheers

Matt

JesseT

Fuusion Tokamaks are being developed faster than I was expecting and will probably be the energy source of the future.

Thrush

iTrader: (1)

I also belive Nuclear energy has a future too - I just think the government needs to do more on educating people about it, and to PROVE that it is safe and not damaging to the economy (as many belive it is unsafe and will kil the planet - I belive with the correct technology and methods, this doesn't need to be true)

Crowder

Imo theres no way other than to go Nuclear. Its safe and produces the power required. I dont understand why people are so scared of it.

Crowds.

Keith B

I think the main thing that puts them off is what to do with the waste. Mind you we could put it in the Tora Bora caves so no more cave dwelling Islamic nutters can hide in there

Thrush

iTrader: (1)

Crowder - probably cos most people are ignorant and uneducated (in terms of nuclear power I mean). People fear things they don't know, and I must admit, I haven't seen virtually anything from the goverment or from anywhere really, that explains what nuclear power is, how safe it is and what it is capable of, without having to source the info myself. It's very "unadvertised" really.

And lets not forget, that for the majority of people, the only thing they know about "nuclear power" is what they see on the Simpsons

Also remember that by reference of the word "Nuclear" the next word, for the majority, that springs to mind is "bomb". Word association. You say NUCLEAR, and people instantly think of destruction, damage and weapons. Specially since the whole thing with Saddam and the "weapons of mass destruction" bollocks.....

People fear of radiation contamination, thanks to documentaries and articles on places like Chernobyl(sp), and thanks to film and media, people see nuclear energy as being destructive, ie, bombs n shit....

DanST

as good as renewable energy is, people think this is the solution to the worlds problems.

forgetting.....

that the means of transforming the energy eg turbines etc are manufactured out of non renewable sources. are transported using non renewable energy. are services with non renewable sources etc etc

yes my friends...

the world is doomed, and has been since industrialisation

Ginge !

cheery chappy there

Wazzzer

fair point about nuclear power but my worry is prob the same as a lot of peoples, wher the hell do you put the rods for the next 1000 etc years?

CJBear

Solar energy? where can i find out more about it

Ginge !

the basement of the white house

SapphyMike

wes, who cares, we'll all be dead