Topic: For Clean Energy, Britain Looks to Sea

[sam]

SKEGNESS, England - Humans have left many landmarks across central England's Lincolnshire county over the past two thousand years: Roman roads, medieval castles, World War II airfields. The newest stand three miles offshore from this beach resort town: Fifty-four massive wind turbine towers, each rising 440 feet above the North Sea - about as tall as the Great Pyramid of Giza.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=england-offshore-wind-turbine-renewable-energy

[GillE]

Anyone who knows Skeggy well will understand why it's such a good site for wind turbines!

[Clive]

They intend building a massive wind farm out to sea just off one of our best beaches.  Personally I don't have a problem with it but the locals are really up in arms about it.   

[sam]

Anyone who knows Skeggy well will understand why it's such a good site for wind turbines!

I remember childhood holidays on the beach trying to stand up there!

[Simon]

They could put one in Worthing too. 

[GillE]

They intend building a massive wind farm out to sea just off one of our best beaches.  Personally I don't have a problem with it but the locals are really up in arms about it.   

I like them and don't think they detract from the aesthetics of the environment at all.  I'd be quite happy to live near a wind farm.  In fact, I'd be quite happy to live near a nuclear energy plant too, so long as I got subsidised energy bills by way of compensation .

[Simon]

And a free bunker? 

[Rik]

I like them and don't think they detract from the aesthetics of the environment at all.

Have to disagree with you there, Gill, the land-based ones in Scotland have spoilt some of the really beautiful wild places.

[Simon]

I can't see an argument that they are aesthetically pleasing. 

[Rik]

They are on paper, just not on mountains and moors.

[Simon]

True.

[sam]

Have to disagree with you there, Gill, the land-based ones in Scotland have spoilt some of the really beautiful wild places.

I'd still rather them than coal or nuclear power plants... I think its all about thinking were you put these things. No matter what you do you are going to annoy someone. Saying that, who gives a crap about Scotland 

[Simon]

[Clive]

It was announced in today's paper that our wind farm has been scrapped owing to it not being cost effective.     The local maffia wins every time! 

[Rik]

Wind farms aren't cost effective though, Clive, without the subsidies, no-one would be building them.