Travel Theme: Environment

nature 2 - wind farm wales
A wind farm in Wales

Compared to the environmental impact of traditional energy sources, the environmental impact of wind power is relatively minor. Wind power consumes no fuel, and emits no air pollution, unlike fossil fuel power sources. The energy consumed to manufacture and transport the materials used to build a wind power plant is equal to the new energy produced by the plant within a few months. While a wind farm may cover a large area of land, many land uses such as agriculture are compatible, with only small areas of turbine foundations and infrastructure made unavailable for use. Wikipedia

What are your thoughts about wind turbines? Do you think they spoil the environment?

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Heyjude

I have lived in the UK for most of my life, but when young I definitely had wanderlust and even ended up living in South Africa for several years which was a wonderful experience. I now look forward to a long and leisurely retirement doing what I like most - gardening, photography, walking and travelling.

65 thoughts on “Travel Theme: Environment”

  1. I think that the wind turbines are great, just a shamed there isn’t more than there already is! I wouldn’t say they spoil the environment.

  2. As you will know, Jude, here in Shropshire there is a big anti-wind turbine lobby. Personally, I don’t object to them at all. They can add drama to a landscape. My only concern is that according to my chemical engineer niece, the ones with traditional flat blades are not very efficient. They need to have helical blades that operate more effectively. We do need to put our minds to accepting the need for clean non-oil energy. After all, what kinds of landscapes will we have in the future if we don’t get on with it.

    1. I quite agree Tish. We need to put in more effort to provide clean energy and use all the natural resources that we can, including off-shore and wave technology. I’m sure over time (and with the will) these wind turbines can be much more effective.

  3. The turbines in your photo blend in well Jude, in that I had to look for them. As you know from your visits, Norfolk has a fair number of these. The offshore wind farms can add to a coastal scene, and I quite like to see them in large numbers, where they can appear almost alien, and futuristic. I am not so happy with the ‘odd’ ones, sticking up from a field, spoiling the look of an area, as in and around Swaffham.
    There are also increasing numbers of ‘solar farms’ springing up. I am yet to be convinced about their ugly takeover of agricultural land.
    Regards as always, Pete. x

    1. I have yet to see a solar farm other than on the TV or in a magazine. I guess we love to see the open fields of various crops and these are rather alien. Perhaps we shall have to get used to them. I do think that new housing developments should include alternative sources of heating such as solar heating panels, biomass stoves or ground source heat pumps and triple glazing should be a minimum specification. We should be doing all that we can to reduce our need for gas and oil.

  4. The absolute truth: they give me the creeps. When I look at them I feel we’re been invaded by space creatures.
    Aside from that, I’m still not sure about them as they do kill birds from what I’ve heard. 😦

    1. I’m no expert on the matter, but I have read that more birds are killed by electricity lines than by wind turbines.

        1. Sigh… guess I’ll stick to flower photos in future – they don’t cause any arguments – usually!

    1. I think that is the problem. People are ignorant. We don’t seem to have a proper informed debate about the pros and cons. I’m not an expert, but I do believe that we have to do something!

      Thanks for the link, I’ll pop over 🙂

  6. Are you aware that wind turbines kill hundreds thousands of birds every year? It might have a very negative impact (diseases on paths of birds’ migration). There was no serious research in this area.

    1. As I have said on other comments, I am not an expert in wind turbine technology. My question was do you think they spoil the environment? As in the look of the landscape.It wasn’t meant to spark off any argument, but I would like to know where you get the stats from for your claim of ‘hundreds of thousands’ of birds.

  7. I too rather enjoy the surreal sight of wind turbines marching across the hills. I also listen with incense to the often ill-informed passion of crusaders against them because of their impact on human health. For me, an opinion needs a lot more knowledge than I have.

    1. My thoughts entirely Meg. We need much better information about them as to their effectiveness and possible ill-effects. There may be a good reason not to place them in certain environments, but there are surely plenty of places that they can be situated. We cannot rely on oil or gas forever.

  9. An interesting debate you’ve started here, Jude. First, how do we define environmental impact? Wind farms require no fuel to operate therefore no pollution: good for the environment. Aesthetically they blight the landscape: bad for the environment – especially if you’re living in sight of one. I think there’s probably a touch of nimbyism in all of us here. Yes, I would agree that wind farms may be the way forward for sustainable natural resources but I’d be mighty fed up if it was deemed that the Surrey Hills were a designated spot for a few turbines. Imagine Blackdown…
    Am off to Cornwall at the weekend and will be driving across Bodmin where there are plenty of turbines. Last time we went that way we had all the windows open and noticed how much noise they make. Will do a bit of research this time, just to check. As for killing birds – no – birds fly into all manner of things – including my patio doors and windscreen. And it’s very likely that a few random cows that grazed near to a wind farm were down on their milk yield – but one (or even two) swallow(s) does/do not make a summer.

    1. Phew Jenny! Thank you for your balanced comment. This wasn’t intended to start off a debate on the pros and cons of wind turbines, merely whether one considers them a blot on the landscape! Perhaps the best idea is to put them into the sea – though having heard the news about tidal technology proposed off Swansea and the effect that might have on fish, I despair that we (as in mankind) will ever sort out the energy crisis.

  10. I don’t mind them at all Jude. Like Tish I have someone in the energy industry (Dave) and it’s the efficiency part that’s a problem. At this point as I understand it, wind energy needs to be subsidized.

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