Windmills are not a panacea. Windmills only make electricity when the wind blows.
Windmills require power transmission lines. Think of the clear cutting it would require in the Blue Ridge to tie these windmills into the power grid.
Windmills have been said to kill birds. If an individual wants to install a windmill on their own property, fine. But massive windmill farms are simply an expensive boondoggle . And they are ugly. We should learn from the French. They produce 80% of their power from nuclear energy, safely.
And France has clean air.
Susan Oehler - 15 years ago
I support wind power, and recently I was up on Rich Mountain in Madison County... where the wind blows non-stop. They were doing some logging along the dirt road up the mountain, and it really was tearing up the mountain and the roads.
I hope the wind power does not tear up pristine natural land very much.
Lorrie Sherbine - 15 years ago
Wind turbines must be located in high wind areas to be effective. Drive through some areas that have them already operating in place. They offer a breathtaking vista!
Billy Robinson - 15 years ago
It seems that the proponents for large scale wind generators (their not farms) on the ridges do not live near those ridges, would not have to contend with the noise generated by those huge generators bouncing noise and echoing in the valleys, nor would they have to contend with having their property seized by the power companies to supply lines to said generators. I am all in favor of sensible, smaller-scale generators. But let's face reality, size matters! what might work on the coast doesn't necessarily work on the ridges.
Clarence Boshamer - 15 years ago
I agree that we need to develop wind, as well as solar, energy programs. I would love to see North Carolina be a leader in this. There is much in the way of open, flat land in the inland coastal plain area of our state. It is also some of the most economically depressed area in our state. I have often wondered if this area would be good for large wind turbine and solar collector farms. We have fought for years to keep development off of the ridge tops in our mountains. I would prefer to explore other options first. Seems building and maintenance of turbines would be easier and cheaper in the flat lands. don't forget, it would not just be turbines on the ridge tops but the access roads to them and the damage to the forests, mountain slopes through erosion, etc.
Dave Stewart - 15 years ago
We must develop windpower. However, I think scenic values ought to be considered in regulations governing the location of turbines. I have seen how scenic views in Spain near Gibralter have been adversely affected by turbines. However, Denmark has done a good job in locating them unobtrusively in rural areas. I hate to think of how N.C. mountains would look with ridgetop wind turbines. I would oppose locating them on our mountains.
Nathan Bales - 15 years ago
Global warming is happening faster than any scientists predicted and with our planet in the balance we must make changes NOW! There is no such thing as "clean coal," so I would much rather see windmills on top of mountains and solar panels on top of buildings than to see mountains blown up eco systems ruined for coal.
Crystal Horwitz - 15 years ago
I heartily agree with the two previous comments. I love our beautiful ocean as well as this beautiful state, but wind turbines, to me, would represent how much we care about our whole wonderful planet!
Elisa Thompson - 15 years ago
I would much rather see windmills atop mountains than to see mountains capped and mined for coal.With our planet in the balance we must move quickly to make wise and effective choices.
Dave Schwartz - 15 years ago
The Blue Ridge Parkway is my favorite place on earth yet I would not mind at all seeing windmills in the distance from the beautiful scenic pulloffs. I feel the threat of climate change is real and I don't want my kids to think I stood by and did nothing when it most counted and had a double standard.
Windmills are not a panacea. Windmills only make electricity when the wind blows.
Windmills require power transmission lines. Think of the clear cutting it would require in the Blue Ridge to tie these windmills into the power grid.
Windmills have been said to kill birds. If an individual wants to install a windmill on their own property, fine. But massive windmill farms are simply an expensive boondoggle . And they are ugly. We should learn from the French. They produce 80% of their power from nuclear energy, safely.
And France has clean air.
I support wind power, and recently I was up on Rich Mountain in Madison County... where the wind blows non-stop. They were doing some logging along the dirt road up the mountain, and it really was tearing up the mountain and the roads.
I hope the wind power does not tear up pristine natural land very much.
Wind turbines must be located in high wind areas to be effective. Drive through some areas that have them already operating in place. They offer a breathtaking vista!
It seems that the proponents for large scale wind generators (their not farms) on the ridges do not live near those ridges, would not have to contend with the noise generated by those huge generators bouncing noise and echoing in the valleys, nor would they have to contend with having their property seized by the power companies to supply lines to said generators. I am all in favor of sensible, smaller-scale generators. But let's face reality, size matters! what might work on the coast doesn't necessarily work on the ridges.
I agree that we need to develop wind, as well as solar, energy programs. I would love to see North Carolina be a leader in this. There is much in the way of open, flat land in the inland coastal plain area of our state. It is also some of the most economically depressed area in our state. I have often wondered if this area would be good for large wind turbine and solar collector farms. We have fought for years to keep development off of the ridge tops in our mountains. I would prefer to explore other options first. Seems building and maintenance of turbines would be easier and cheaper in the flat lands. don't forget, it would not just be turbines on the ridge tops but the access roads to them and the damage to the forests, mountain slopes through erosion, etc.
We must develop windpower. However, I think scenic values ought to be considered in regulations governing the location of turbines. I have seen how scenic views in Spain near Gibralter have been adversely affected by turbines. However, Denmark has done a good job in locating them unobtrusively in rural areas. I hate to think of how N.C. mountains would look with ridgetop wind turbines. I would oppose locating them on our mountains.
Global warming is happening faster than any scientists predicted and with our planet in the balance we must make changes NOW! There is no such thing as "clean coal," so I would much rather see windmills on top of mountains and solar panels on top of buildings than to see mountains blown up eco systems ruined for coal.
I heartily agree with the two previous comments. I love our beautiful ocean as well as this beautiful state, but wind turbines, to me, would represent how much we care about our whole wonderful planet!
I would much rather see windmills atop mountains than to see mountains capped and mined for coal.With our planet in the balance we must move quickly to make wise and effective choices.
The Blue Ridge Parkway is my favorite place on earth yet I would not mind at all seeing windmills in the distance from the beautiful scenic pulloffs. I feel the threat of climate change is real and I don't want my kids to think I stood by and did nothing when it most counted and had a double standard.