Debunking Myths
There are many myths about wind energy circulated by those opposed to renewable energy in general or wind turbines in particular. Some are so outlandish that it’s hard to imagine people believe them, others are more subtle requiring a degree of technical background to refute. Since I began my career in this field four decades ago I have tried to focus on the facts–both the promise and pitfalls of wind energy. The links below explore these myths and the topics on which some myths are built.
Power Plant Decommissioning and Dismantling: PG&E’s Kern River Power Plant—28 Years and Waiting
By
Paul Gipe
The question about what to do with wind turbines after they’ve reached the end of their useful lives is often …
Decommissioning and Dismantling Wind Turbines and Wind Plants
By
Paul Gipe
Because of a flood of misinformation about what it costs to dismantle wind turbines, I’ve chosen to post a section from my 1995 book on the topic. Note that this was written nearly two decades ago.
Renewables International: Impact of wind turbines on tourism
By
Craig Morris
Jürgen Peters, Professor of Sustainable Development at Eberswalde College in Germany, found (PDF) that 32 percent of tourists and locals do not mind wind turbines at all, while only 9.2 percent do. His findings are in line with a study for the Eifel region in Germany, where 59% of those surveyed (PDF) said they did not mind the turbines, while 28% said they were “acceptable”; in contrast, only 12% said they did not like the turbines.
REM: Anti-wind farm propaganda dismissed by Advertising Standards Agency
By
Robin Whitlock
In a significant victory for the UK wind sector over anti-wind propagandists, the UK Advertising Standards Authority have banned a leaflet stating that a 5.4MW wind farm planned for Wiltshire would depress house prices. The campaigners from ‘Stop Grange Farm Wind Farm’ have become the latest in a number of UK anti-wind groups to fall foul of the ASA.
Guardian: The right’s anti-wind campaign is pure scaremongering
By
John Quiggin
Climate change is a debacle for the Australian right. Their tribal hatred of environmentalists has driven them to denounce any technology favoured by their enemies
New Western study suggest winds of change may be blowing for wind turbines
By
Jamie Baxter from Western’s Department of Geography and his team explore the conundrum that while a relatively strong majority of rural Ontarians actually living with turbines in their farming communities (69 per cent) support them, the level of positive feedback in the control community was surprisingly low (25 per cent).
