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Sunday 5 January 2014

Wind chimes

From Wikipedia

Whenever I read a gushing piece on the value of wind power, I have two reactions.

The first is weary contempt - so no surprises there.

The second is a strong sense of empathy with the enthusiasm this technology undoubtedly generates among true believers. I'm not one of those, but the enthusiasm chimes with me and I’m left with a strong sense of regret that the technology is:-

Supported by so many loons, spivs and charlatans.
Promoted with such dishonesty.
Based on shonky science.

No - it's more acute and painful than simple regret; it's a deep sense of loss too. Cultural loss, a sense that vandals are with us and there is no easy remedy, no way to blot out their ignorant graffiti.

I’ve been interested in renewable energy since the seventies, as many so many technically-minded people are. I’d prefer wind power to be a more realistic power source. I’d prefer to be optimistic about its prospects rather than having to sigh and shrug my shoulders at the ghastly company it keeps.

To my mind this is one of the disasters of climate propaganda - the invasion of environmental causes by vandals with a worthless, self-serving or ignorant agenda. Usually all three.

Yes - it certainly would be wonderful to extract all the power we need from natural forces such as wind, tide and sunlight. The reason is obvious - we would have built something worth bequeathing to future generations.

Yet what will those generations make of us propagating such obvious drivel about carbon dioxide, the most basic and essential plant food of all?

What will future historians make of it?

4 comments:

Macheath said...

I often wonder whether wind turbines would have been so assiduously promoted were they unobtrusive or invisible.

We've seen this week what the sea can do, but the 240MW tidal power station on La Rance could easily be missed as you drive on the main road over the top of it - where are the iconic images in that?

It's not enough to be green; you must be seen to be green, and wind turbines fit the bill admirably.

A K Haart said...

Mac - good question. Presumably they are mainly a quick fix, but the domineering display aspect may well appeal to the green mind too.

Trainer John said...

They will condemn us for the fools we are. But they will not write it in English.

A K Haart said...

TJ - in that case I hope to be long gone.