LongLine

Two interesting polls: http://www.economist.com/debate/debates/overview/217 http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/nat ... le2226443/ I know how I voted. (NFW!) Tom B. (LongLine)

One of the things I noticed early on in "wind campaigns" is that the "promoters" are more concerned with putting on a positive spin to their "schpeel" rather than base their proposals on sound scientific evidence on the subjects that the affected people have. When questions are raised about local studies, they always point to other countries and/or to other environments where there are only questionable" studies that they have previously paid bigbucks for. They always place the onus on the affected people to come up with their own studies and of course when the affected people do, they are always denounced as "NIMBY'S." Jobs, home values, health effects, environmental impact, electricity/maintnenace/grid costs, generating capacity...it doesn't matter, they do it to all areas. Tom B. (LongLine)

Yes greater change in pressure yields great velocity of flow - no question about it. This guys 'gizmo" will increase the wind speed that drives the blades. However greater speed = greater noise. Also greater pressure difference yields greater avian kill. Studies done at landbased windfarms showed very high numbers of dead bats & birds found behind the turbines which you wouldn't expect if they flew into the blades. Autopsies on bats found majority died from the sudden pressure changes that their lungs could not withstand. I like how he says the openings can be used for fishing. Launching looks like it'd be a real trick. I agree on geothermal - I find it hard to believe with all the drilling technology currently available that they can't drill deep enough; pump down some water then add just a little more energy to make steam to turn electrical generators - for a whole lot less money than is currently being squandered on wind turbines. Tom B. (LongLine)

Cornelius - The difference in air pressure above & below the wing is what lifts the plane. (due to wing design) The engine/propulsion system provides the speed of the plane. That runways face the prevailing winds or that aircraft carriers turn into the wind for take off, only allows for planes to take off in more stable winds. i.e. no wind shear, no down drafts, etc. The wind does not "drive" the airplane. Yes headwinds slow the plane slightly & tailwinds help to push it along but only due to resistance/frictional effects. The windwill on the other hand is purely driven by the wind. For this turbine to be 100% efficient, the wind must transfer all of its energy to the windmill, which it doesn't, hence this guys 59% maximum figure. Tom B. (LongLine)