Alternative energy sources top priority
IN YOUR report ‘Council puts wind farm plans on hold’ (Herald, January 6) it states that a campaign group has formed against the wind farm proposals in Polegate and it is concerned about a range of issues.
Of course all these objections need to be checked by investigating existing wind farms.
We are looking at alternative ways of getting power when we can no longer rely on fossil fuels.
Objectors cite the appearance of wind turbines. These are surely more aesthetic than the electricity power pylons) which cross our fields.
But appearance is not the most important thing, it is getting alternative sources of energy.
It is desirable not to put turbines where they would spoil the view, but the most important thing is to use wind power as one alternative source of power.
We need to remember wind power is a viable alternative to fossil fuels, is plentiful, renewable, widely distributed, clean, produces no greenhouse gas emissions during operation, and uses little land.
In operation, the overall cost per unit of energy produced is similar to the cost for new coal and natural gas installations.
The construction of wind farms is not universally welcomed, but any effects on the environment from wind power are generally much less problematic than those of any other power source.
Several countries have already achieved relatively high levels of wind power penetration, such as 21 per cent of stationary electricity production in Denmark, 18 per cent in Portugal, 16 per cent in Spain, 14 per cent in Ireland and 9 per cent in Germany in 2010.
DOROTHY FORSYTH
Chair of Eastbourne Green Party
Wellsmead Place
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Weather for Eastbourne
Sunday 27 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 12 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: South west
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roneoron
Friday, January 27, 2012 at 10:57 AMThese Green idiots must live in another land to most of us. No mention of the fact that power from wind is 50% more expensive than other methods, and that we, the consumers have to pay. No mention of the harmful emissions during manufacture and erection, high maintenance, plentiful gearbox failures, and the fact that the large windfarm off the north Kent coast is running at a fraction of capacity because of (unspecified) cable faults, costs also down to us. And why compare cost per unit (KWh?) to conventional installations? It's cost per unit generated by each system that counts with consumers. Notice the low level of wind generation in Germany. That's because the Germans with their usual efficiency ran a ten year test on renewables and came to the conclusion that the only renewables worth the candle for them are hydro-electric. We might not have so many large rivers as them, Severn excepted, but our wonderful Government has shied away from the cost of that one, but we do have the tidal range to take advantage of. Why don't we? Because wind power research got a head start over tidal, and as a sop to the green fools and at no cost to themselves the Government loves it! And Greens, it's already too late for this planet. Governments are so diverse, and the big polluters so greedy, that they couldn't even agree on how long to boil an egg, let alone govern emissions!
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