# Environmental Impact of Wind Energy (and excuses made for it) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 13, 2017, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/environmental-impact-of-wind-energy-and-excuses-made-for-it/791156 "2017-07-13T04:39:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2017, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/environmental-impact-of-wind-energy-and-excuses-made-for-it/791156/61 "2017-07-14T03:41:16Z")
> [@kayT](#): > > They weren’t spinning because many of the companies who built them have gone out of business and, as I understand it, no one is making parts to repair them. This was in the 90s when they must have been relatively new. ---
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2017, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/environmental-impact-of-wind-energy-and-excuses-made-for-it/791156/62 "2017-07-14T03:51:24Z")
Actually, **davidm** , many of them failed when they were relatively new, and were not repaired. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2017, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/environmental-impact-of-wind-energy-and-excuses-made-for-it/791156/63 "2017-07-14T03:55:38Z")
> [@kayT](#): > > Actually, **davidm** , many of them failed when they were relatively new, and were not repaired. That would explain it. ---
**Author:** ![Kelevra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/97f17d/32.png) [@Kelevra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kelevra)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2017, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/environmental-impact-of-wind-energy-and-excuses-made-for-it/791156/64 "2017-07-14T14:23:45Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > I’ve walked past [these](http://i.imgur.com/8Fcw3Tj.jpg) several times in the past few months. Either the technology has improved, or the claims about the noise are exaggerated bullshit\*. When they’re turning slowly, you can hardly hear anything. I had the same experience. Stopped at one in Indiana (there’s a giant windfarm on I-65 north of Indianapolis). It hardly made a sound. Is there an older design that is more noisy? ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2017, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/environmental-impact-of-wind-energy-and-excuses-made-for-it/791156/65 "2017-07-14T14:42:27Z")
> [@Kelevra](#): > > I had the same experience. Stopped at one in Indiana (there’s a giant windfarm on I-65 north of Indianapolis). It hardly made a sound. Is there an older design that is more noisy? Same here. On a road trip the wife and I stopped at a group of them out in the desert. A hundred feet away and we still couldn’t hear anything other than a vague rhythmic wind noise. And, like others, I completely disagree with the OP on the aesthetics of windmills. I think they’re actually quite pretty. I’d certainly rather see a hundred windmills from my front door than one power plant, nuclear or otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2017, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/environmental-impact-of-wind-energy-and-excuses-made-for-it/791156/66 "2017-07-14T15:45:33Z")
> [@eg8576736](#): > > “house cats are killing more birds” (maybe, but not the same species). Is there a type of wind turbine that attracts Canada geese? Because my cat ain’t doing shit about them. ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2017, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/environmental-impact-of-wind-energy-and-excuses-made-for-it/791156/67 "2017-07-16T18:53:47Z")
The entire global economy is in danger But somehow the governments can afford fans for cows Say \*\*no \*\*to fans for cows [![Imgur](https://i.imgur.com/Zgsifg2.jpeg "Fans") ](https://imgur.com/gallery/Zgsifg2) ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2017, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/environmental-impact-of-wind-energy-and-excuses-made-for-it/791156/68 "2017-07-16T18:59:04Z")
> [@davidm](#): > > And both take me to a map of my neighborhood. Apparently my phone isn’t passing the links properly or the Google Maps app is failing to interpret them, so it ends up defaulting to my current location. > > I’ve seen the wind farm in Palm Springs. That was back in the 90s so that one’s been there for a while. A lot of them weren’t spinning, for some reason. if they don’t need all of the capacity, they can stop unneeded turbines. When I was headed to Tilbury last weekend in the early morning, most of the turbines on the north side of 401 were stopped, while the ones on the south side were operating. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2017, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/environmental-impact-of-wind-energy-and-excuses-made-for-it/791156/69 "2017-07-16T19:20:43Z")
> [@Ruken](#): > > The entire global economy is in danger > > But somehow the governments can afford fans for cows > > Say \*\*no \*\*to fans for cows > > [Fans - Imgur](http://imgur.com/gallery/Zgsifg2) Farmer McDonald takes revenge on Farmer John by blowing cattle farts in his general direction. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2017, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/environmental-impact-of-wind-energy-and-excuses-made-for-it/791156/70 "2017-07-16T20:18:34Z")
> [@boffking](#): > > Pet cats kill over 1 million birds for every one that is killed by a wind turbine. Keep your pet cats inside. PROBLEM SOLVED. It’s better for the cat’s lifespan too. ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2017, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/environmental-impact-of-wind-energy-and-excuses-made-for-it/791156/71 "2017-07-16T20:35:27Z")
> [@boffking](#): > > Pet cats kill over 1 million birds for every one that is killed by a wind turbine. Those bastards! It’s not like the birds forced them to climb up those turbines! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2017, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/environmental-impact-of-wind-energy-and-excuses-made-for-it/791156/72 "2017-07-16T20:43:56Z")
Thanks to all for bringing to light the awful social problem that dared not speak its name…Cats Up On Wind Turbines. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2017, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/environmental-impact-of-wind-energy-and-excuses-made-for-it/791156/73 "2017-07-16T20:49:45Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > The top five states according to percentage of generation by wind in 2016 were: > > Iowa (36.6%) > South Dakota (30.3%) > Kansas (29.6%) > Oklahoma (25.1%) > North Dakota (21.5%) > > Fourteen states now have 10 percent or more of their generation coming from wind power. Most of these are in the central plains. These states include North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Texas, Maine, Vermont, Oregon, and Idaho. > > In 2016, wind power produced 5.55% of all USA electrical production. So far in 2017, it is averaging 7.5%. > > The Industry claims that wind power related Eagle deaths are less than 2% of all human related eagle deaths. If the OP has something showing otherwise, from a legitimate source, they should show their work. This is kinda what I was going to say. At least in the US, these wind farms are in mostly sparsely populated areas that have super long stretches of flat land where…it’s windy! So that alone kinda kills two birds with one stone (natch) as to the OP’s claim about “noise driving people away” and that they’re ugly and cluttering up the landscape. I live in the Cincinnati area and am regularly in all three joined states (KY, OH, IN), where there’s some pretty rural areas and I have never seen one in real life. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2017, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/environmental-impact-of-wind-energy-and-excuses-made-for-it/791156/74 "2017-07-16T21:06:39Z")
> [@Ukulele\_Ike](#): > > Thanks to all for bringing to light the awful social problem that dared not speak its name…Cats Up On Wind Turbines. See? Now I’m picturing lazy rural cats just hanging out under the wind turbines looking for dead birds. Why hunt when there’s (allegedly) an all you can eat buffet under every turbine? ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/environmental-impact-of-wind-energy-and-excuses-made-for-it/791156/75 "2017-07-17T02:38:07Z")
> [@Ukulele\_Ike](#): > > Thanks to all for bringing to light the awful social problem that dared not speak its name…Cats Up On Wind Turbines. At least it is not mustard on wind turbines. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/environmental-impact-of-wind-energy-and-excuses-made-for-it/791156/76 "2017-07-17T03:08:48Z")
I will note at this point that the OP has not posted in this thread since creating it. Is the OP a cowardly little bitch who is unable to defend his/her position? Or a troll? ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/environmental-impact-of-wind-energy-and-excuses-made-for-it/791156/77 "2017-07-17T06:44:41Z")
Just wanted to note that it isn’t just being _hit_ by turbines that kills flying animals. Bats can have their [lungs explode](https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn14593-wind-turbines-make-bat-lungs-explode/) or other barotrauma from the pressure changes alone. I’m pro-turbine, I just like saying “barotrauma” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 10:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/environmental-impact-of-wind-energy-and-excuses-made-for-it/791156/78 "2017-07-17T10:34:26Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > This is kinda what I was going to say. At least in the US, these wind farms are in mostly sparsely populated areas that have super long stretches of flat land where…it’s windy! So that alone kinda kills two birds with one stone (natch) as to the OP’s claim about “noise driving people away” and that they’re ugly and cluttering up the landscape. Not having been through the northern great plains states, I can’t say how many wind farms are there, but at least half the wind farms I’ve seen have been atop hills, and the ones in Texas do uglify the mesas in my opinion. The others do as well but they aren’t in places I’d normally go for their beauty, and coal mines uglify the terrain as well. Plus I’m a weirdo who generally likes the look of power plants. I think a wind farm in the same place as a power plant tends to be uglier in the balance. Now, how much should we be willing to spend to make sure they aren’t uglying up the terrain too much? This is one case in which the “starving children in Africa” argument is valid IMO: until we get rid of billboards, which are even uglier and more commonplace, we should be able to live with wind farms. Oddly enough, noise-wise, I’ve never been close enough to a wind farm to hear it, so I think power plants are noisier than wind farms! ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/environmental-impact-of-wind-energy-and-excuses-made-for-it/791156/79 "2017-07-17T13:38:50Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > I will note at this point that the OP has not posted in this thread since creating it. > > Is the OP a cowardly little bitch who is unable to defend his/her position? > > Or a troll? You say that as if they were mutually-exclusive clubs. ---
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2017, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/environmental-impact-of-wind-energy-and-excuses-made-for-it/791156/80 "2017-07-17T15:53:25Z")
So everyone who doesn’t agree with you is either a troll or a whiny little bitch, eh? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/environmental-impact-of-wind-energy-and-excuses-made-for-it/791156.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/environmental-impact-of-wind-energy-and-excuses-made-for-it/791156.md?page=5)