Feb 8, 2009: Wind Farm
 

Mexico recently had an inauguration ceremony also.
But not for a politician, their inauguration ceremony was for a $550 million wind farm to offset their falling oil production.

If the Mexican government wants to build something successfully, the same three rules apply to them as everyone else.
Of course anybody can tell you those three rules are location, location, location. :blush:

http://cellar.org/2009/windfarm.jpg

For a (successful) wind farm you need a spot where the wind blows and it looks to me like they got that right.
The petticoats, the man hanging onto his hat, the bent trees, and the dust off the dirt road, make me think this is a good spot.
I imagine the had the turbines shut down for the ceremony because they're noisy and sometimes toss dead bird parts about.

Link

They turn pretty slowly so the camera probably stopped them.

If they had half a brain they would build a railroad across there.. Yachting cruisers would do that in GREAT preference to the now expensive, slow, and large hassle factor, presented by The Canal.

The wind turbine generators are fairly quiet, except in higher winds - then the blades are feathered to help avoid damage. Though I see conflicting reports on bird deaths caused by the spinning blades, one article recently showed that bats can be killed sometimes if they fly into the area of low pressure caused by their rapid movement. Link.

When I lived in a little village (in a little house) we saw bats every summer evening. I don't know if they hibernate, just that we didn't stand outside for the rest of the year.

Of all the things I miss about that time of my life - and they are many - I think it's the bats that are the most poignant.

Note to self: Take bat pics for Cherry next summer.

In the article, the locals are upset that they are not more involved. Why don't they form a cooperative, and build a few wind generators for themselves? I know - times are tough, they are probably dirt poor etc, but there are ways to get these things done.

On a wind farm, do you have to water the wind, do you irrigate, or what?

And if you use cow shit to fertilize terrestrial crops, can you use cattle farts for fertilizer on a wind farm?

In my old apartment, on any given night, you could see bats. Flying over your head, as you were watching TV. Cats chasing them like "this is fun." Not fun for me. :lol:

The whole argument about birds and windfarms seems pretty stupid to me if it's coming from anyone who drives a car or has ever flown in a plane, and I doubt there's too many greenies who don't fly in planes or travel by car or bus. Far more birds are killed by humans transporting themselves around than are killed by windfarms (at least in Australia).

We have lots of bats here, but one of the most prolific is the fruit bat. The bain of every fruit growers existance! And the little buggers are protected too. Currently they're causing a lot of problems for our stone fruit and apple farmers in Stanthorpe.

I think the farmers should be allowed to shoot them.

In my experience, that would have to be one sharp shooter. Those things flail about with no rhyme nor reason. :)

Use a shot gun mate. ;)

Eh, I probably couldn't hit the broad side of a...um, bat.

Actually, we had a neighbour once who used to shoot plenty of them with a .22 rifle...till he tried walking down the main road with it to one of the other neighbours houses to shoot their bats for them.

The police came. Fear ensued. Guns were confiscated. Bats had a party.

It's an old joke, but if we're looking for a lot of wind, why don't we put them suckers up around Washington D.C.? And speaking of politicans, what happened to T. Boone Pickens plan to save on oil consumption and rescue the U.S. economy with wind? We heard pleanty of it proir the election but now? That was one guy I would have voted for.