Tilting At Windmills

GreedyCapitalist writes "Anne Applebaum writes in the Washington Post about environmentalists who are opposing renewable energy sources." From the article: "Already, activists and real estate developers have stalled projects across Pennsylvania, West Virginia and New York. In Western Maryland, a proposal to build wind turbines alongside a coal mine, on a heavily logged mountaintop next to a transmission line, has just been nixed by state officials who called it too environmentally damaging. Along the coast of Nantucket, Mass. -- the only sufficiently shallow spot on the New England coast -- a coalition of anti-wind groups and summer homeowners, among them the Kennedy family, also seems set to block Cape Wind, a planned offshore wind farm. Their well-funded lobbying last month won them the attentions of Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska), who, though normally an advocate of a state's right to its own resources, has made an exception for Massachusetts and helped pass an amendment designed to kill the project altogether."

Tourism & fishing

[arfuni]

Their major complaint, from previous coverage that I've seen on the issue, is that the turbines will be visible from shore and may interfere with fishing and pleasure boating (i.e. tourism) in the area - which is just about the *only* local industry aside from domestic labor (housecleaning, cooking, etc for the filthy rich).

Have some tasty Don Young quotes

[Valdrax]

You know these people aren't environmentalists when they get Don Young on their side. Let's look at some Don Young quotes: [brainyquote.com]

"Environmentalists are a socialist group of individuals that are the tool of the Democrat Party. I'm proud to say that they are my enemy. They are not Americans, never have been Americans, never will be Americans."

"I don't see any justification for the federal government owning land, other than the Statue of Liberty and maybe a few parks, maybe a few refuges. But to just own land to do nothing with it I think is a disservice to the Constitution."

"We wonder why we have got the Freemen or the militants. We wonder why we have got unrest in this country. It is because our government, in fact, has got out of hand and out of line, with the Endangered Species Act."

If I have my way, I'm going to dissolve the Forest Service. They're in the business of harvesting trees and they're not harvesting trees, so why have them anymore?

If you can't eat it, can't sleep under it, can't wear it or make something from it, it's not worth anything.

The environmentalists - the self-centered bunch, the waffle-stomping, Harvard-graduating, intellectual idiots that don't understand that they're leading this country into environmental disaster.

Yeah, Don, it's the environmentalists that are leading us into environmental disaster. Riiiiiight....

hardly environmentalists

[sentientbrendan]

It seems wildly inaccurate to call these guys environmentalists...

Don Young in particular is one of the guys trying to get us to drill in ANWR (alaska national wildlife reserve). He receives a lot of money from the oil industry, and in the past suggested that the world trade center attacks might have been carried out by "eco-terrorists"...

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1594/is _1_13/ai_82352618 [findarticles.com]
>Young told a reporter for the Anchorage Daily News that responsibility could lie with groups other than
>Islamic fundamentalists. "If you watched what happened in Genoa, in Italy, and even in Seattle, there's
>some expertise in that field," said Young. "I'm not sure they're that dedicated, but ecoterrorists ...
>there's a strong possibility that could be one of the groups."

Its surprising how often oil industry figures and others are able to hijack environmentalist sentaments in this country...

Re:Too True

[heli0]

"Stop buying vehicles that are wasteful."

Something that could easily be accomplished. A Jetta TDI wagon rated at 36/47mpg has comparable cargo capacity [theautochannel.com] (34 cu ft) to many midsize SUVs that are rated at 15/20mpg.

"Maybe investigate how to make 18-wheelers get 5mpg more than they do now."

Interestingly it is WalMart that is pushing the hardest for this.

Wal-Mart Seeks to Double Truck Fuel Economy by 2015 [greencarcongress.com]
"Wal-Mart has set a goal of doubling the fuel efficiency of its new heavy-duty trucks from 6.5 to 13 miles per gallon by 2015, thereby keeping some 26 billion pounds of carbon dioxide out of the air between now and 2020.

Beginning with the its 2007 model-year trucks, the company will begin introducing models with improved aerodynamics, transmission and tires, as well as an auxiliary power unit in every truck in its fleet.

Some of the changes include:

* Trailer Side Skirts. Wind skirts under the trailer significantly reduce wind resistance and reduces airflow around the trailer. This is a big fuel economy benefit.

* Super Single Tires. Wal-Mart combined the two wheels normally seen on a rear axle into a single wheel that is not quite as wide as the sum of two wheels. This gives a smoother ride and better fuel economy from the reduced surface area and improved tire wall stiffness.

* Aerodynamic tractor package. Making the tractor more aerodynamic radically reduces the fuel required to operate the truck, as approximately two-thirds of all gallons burnt today by trucks can be attributed to overcoming aerodynamic resistance.

* Tag Axle. Reduced weight means increased efficiency. This type of rear axle reduces the weight of one rear axle as it eliminates internal axle drive train.

* Auxiliary Power Unit. This APU eliminates the use of the tractor's main engine for keeping our drivers warm or cool at night. Instead, this very small diesel engine does the job at optimum efficiency. This saves a substantial amount of fuel.

The company has estimated it will save some $52 million per year in fuel costs."

More info: http://walmartstores.com/GlobalWMStoresWeb/navigat e.do?catg=447 [walmartstores.com]

Re:Supersonic Windmill

[flysim]

Here's the website: http://www.coldenergyllc.com/ [coldenergyllc.com] One big problem with this concept is the friction losses of a 100 mile pipe. The loss is much larger than the pressure difference of weather systems.

Re:Too True

[Rei]

Um, Forrest Mims is a creationist wingnut [skepticfiles.org] (and I say that with no offense meant to any nuts that might exist on wings). This article is similarly being spread by people like Dembski [uncommondescent.com]. Here's a debunking [kxan.com]. Here's more [pandasthumb.org].

There's one minor, itty-bitty difference between Pianka's speech and Forrest's reporting. Pianka said that it's going to happen, not that he wants it to happen. Pianka believes that a worldwide airborne plague is inevitable due to overpopulation, and campaigns to try and encourage population control (esp. in third world countries) are critical. While I don't agree with that, it's a valid argument, and is anything but "I want 90% of the world to drop dead."

Re:Too True

[LoRdTAW]

Kinda dumb OT reply but wing nuts have "wings" so you can tighten them by hand.

Re:Too True

[shmlco]

"The real reason long-haul trucking shouldn't exist because its less efficient than using trains."

If trains were dramatically more efficient and cost effective then items would be shipped that way. Companies, as a rule, hate wasting both time and money. As is, tracks and stations aren't always available where goods are produced and/or consumed, and trains only go the places they do go on their own schedule.

And with chemicals, food, and many other products loading and unloading the train with them at both ends is problematical and expensive. Not everything can be packed into 40" container.

"Efficiency" is a relative term.