Wind farms - should they be curbed?

I do worry rather about this government tbh. First they seem to want to allow building on greenfield sites, and now they are all for giving the ok to more wind farms. Once the countryside has gone, future generations will not be able to get it back.

I think wind farms are ok in the right location - North Yorks moors etc. or off the coast perhaps. But not in pastoral countryside.

I wouldn't want one on my doorstep. You are bound to get noise.

We have got a wind turbine supplying the electricity to a business park near us. It is quite a landmark. I like it.

In our corner of North Devon there is currently an epidemic of wind farms and applications for more, which are invariably opposed.

Of course, a lot of conservatives are land owners. So they have their own bits of countryside that they will protect. If only to shoot the wildlife.

I don't mind them but then there aren't any near me . I might change my mind if one was to be built on my doorstep.. I think that offshore ones are fine and if its an isolated spot maybe but then you would get those who wouldn't want fine views spoiled , you can't please all the people , as they say.. personally I don't think they should be curbed.

Bit of a sweeping statement to say that a lot of conservatives are landowners, jo5 !

I think there are divided opinions with regard to how cost effective wind farms are, and it may be that it might take years before we can really know if they were a good solution or not.

I'm in favour of renewal energy and like seeing wind turbines, I find them graceful and quite tranquil to watch. BUT big business seems to have tunnel vision, if one company does it they all swarm off in the same direction. So we have wind farms and more wind farms until now there are too many and they are becoming an eyesore. It looks as if solar energy is the new 'upcoming' must have, so perhaps legislation won't be necessary and we'll all be complaining about fields of solar panels next. (Although there should be enough roof space - factories etc to cater for quite a few)

The recent appointment of minister in charge of halting wind farms and promoting tracking, by DC was an interesting choice for "the greenest government ever" And here we have his first move.
I think wind turbines are beautiful . Of course they don't have a place in national parks etc. But there are huge empty areas of upland Britain where there are few people living, few tourists and a lot of not very profitable sheep. It makes sense to put them in places where there is a lot of wind. Coastal and upland areas.
So places such as the mountains surrounding the Welsh valleys, and mid wales are perfect.
They are only noisy if you are very close to them, and then the noise is but nothing compared to that experienced by people who live in inner cities.

Yes phoenix. You're right. (though most of them do own tiny bits of land)

(I mean gardens)

Hands off mid Wales Jess! Sooo beautiful.

They should put more money into developing nuclear fusion. Safe and no nasty waste.

Nfk, we actually already have a few fields of solar panels too! There is a large free range poultry farm not too far from here, and the owners have put in a lot of panels, it does look a bit odd to see a whole flock of hens tootling about between and under them!

Hands off wild Scotland too. Someone has said that putting a wind farm in the wilder places of Scotland is like putting Tesco in the Grand Canyon. Anyone who thinks fracking or oil drilling should not take place in, say, Alaska, should not be supporting wind farms in similarly fragile and beautiful ecosytems.

And hands off the North Yorkshire Moors too. I agree with you Bags

I don't think we like wind farms. Anywhere!

How about bunging them on top of offshore oil rigs?

When were you last in mid wales jo ?
Nuclear fusion - been trying to achieve this for 60 yrs now. Still no usuable technology!
That is a joke, right, phoenix. Have you seen the size of the commercially viable ones?

Oh alright, bung them in the sea, near to oil rigs!

There are plenty of wild moorlands and coastal regions where small wind farms would not be too intrusive. bags were you not arguing on another thread that ecosystems are not as fragile as we think and so can recover? Or was that someone else?
I hate the look of pylons but not the look of the windmills. Every form of energy comes with environmental consequences. It's a matter of what is going to permanently damage the air, land and sea and what will do the least damage.
Burning even more fossil fuels, nuclear power stations?
Let's at least give renewable energy a go.

A few weeks ago jess. Had a lovely holiday near Sugar Loaf mountain. Really ancient old cottage. Lovely!

Why do you ask?

They don't put enough money into it jess! It is getting closer though.

and I've been here several times *jess*. Interesting place

I could compose a whole travel brochure on here about Wales. Love all of it.

Even the rain.

It seems to me that renewable energy should come from something that is there all the time. Wind is not ,the sun is not, even waves are not reliable .Why has the tide not been investigated? The rise and fall happens every day without fail. Maybe it has bean looked into and I just missed it!

I think if some devices such as games consoles etc were connected to static bikes, and would only work if you peddalled (sp?) like mad, it would reduce obesity levels