Alternative to wind power
Friday, November 5, 2004

In just about every issue of The Upper Cape Codder there are balanced articles covering the issue concerning the building of a wind farm off the coast of the Cape in order to generate electrical power. The articles range from senators trying to stop the project to the developers of the project defending their positions.

The bottom line is that our need for electrical power is caused by our increasing demand for electricity. That demand could be reduced to almost zero if everyone went to their home electrical panels and pulled the main switch. Of course that is not going to happen since we have all become dependent on electrical power for every light, appliance and gadget known to man. Therefore we all have a need to develop energy sources for this growing electrical appetite that we all have.

The suggestion of building wind turbines to produce electrical power is worthwhile since it is a way of producing electrical power from a renewable source that reduces our dependency on foreign oil. We all nod our heads when our leaders tell us that we need to reduce our dependency on foreign oil. Of course we cannot relate our appetite for electricity to the fact that the Canal Plant uses eight million barrels of oil per year to generate our electricity!


full article:
http://www2.townonline.com/bourne/opinion/...rticleid=120645

Wind power is a very viable and efficient alternative to the U.S.'s dependence on foreign oil. It is currently being experimented with and utilized in the State of Iowa. As an active participant in the Kerry-Edwards campaign I am proud to be a part of the environmentalists for Kerry group, as Senator Kerry has and hopefully continues to be an active supporter of environmental issues, compared to the destructive policies of the current administration and the individual who is wrongly serving as our President re-elect. Senator Kerry had the overwhelming support and backing of National organizations concerned with the environment, including: the Sierra Club, League of Conservational Voters (LCV), the Natural Resources Defense Counsil (NRDC), World Wildlife Federation, etc. I am just wondering what happened to all the pre-election voters that indicated that the environment and its protection where items of major concern during this year's campaign? I know, for a fact, that the LCV and Sierra Club Vote campaign did their part in letting their members and others know that John Kerry was the most viable; don't the rest of the American voters realize that our environment and natural resources are crucial to our survival? If so, how could they follow and believe in what the other candidate was saying on all relevant issues concerning our nation?

Denmark has used offshore wind turbines for years without incident. If the cape has the neccesary wind levels to justify building the turbines, I think they should go for it. When I was in Germany over the summer I did not hear a single person talk about how they thought the turbines were ugly or eyesores or anything like that. I really enjoy seeing them because it represents technology and hope that we will improve the management of our resources.

With some support from the government we could really make huge strides in alternative energy. Unfortunately, Georgie is in bed with big oil, so it ain't gonna happen.

Well fortunately for us our constitution was designed so that Congress makes the laws and not the President. Bush's distate for policy has kept him from vetoing a single bill in his first term. So, therefore I think that if we as activists have a very loud voice, we can still work on getting support from Congress, and Bush won't stand in the way.

As odd as it seems, we've gotten some help from Congress recently. I've learned that the JOBS act that was signed into law by President Bush at the end of October included some new taxbreaks that will help make alternative energy more economically feasible.

But getting the legislation we need from Government is only part of the battle. Public awareness and demand for alternative energy needs to increase. Private enterprise needs to play a part as well, which I think it will if the price of oil keeps increasing.

I am a frequent visitor to Cape Cod and it is absolutely unbelievable to see the amount of people against it. This would, at least, help them. What's the worst a windmill could do? It's not like they are putting a nuclear waste dump there or something. Windmills are something you can bare to look at.

As we have learned here in Denmark, by far the most efficient place to place them is out to sea, were the wind is more constant, and there is the side effect of the fundaments of the Windturbines, becoming miniature reefs for a pletora of smaller lifeforms in and around the mills, and in that way increasing the amount of food for small and big fish and muzzels.& oysters.
On average a win, win situation, even throu some seabirds those get killed by the mills.

Wavemill Technology
http://www.wavemill.com/technology.htm


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