Ducknut Posted December 20, 2004 Share Posted December 20, 2004 I was at Mt. Hood Meadows today (BTW bullet proof ice with 30-40 MPH winds til noon, then slush, rain and 40 mph winds after). When I buying my lift ticket they asked me if I wanted to make a donation and get a "mini-green pass". I asked what this green pass is and how it works and I couldn't believe the rip-off that they are perpetrating. The Green Pass is supposed to offset the emissions you create on your drive up to the mountain. Basically you can donate $2 to the Bonnevile Power Administration to help build more wind turbines. Everyone is favor of renewable, non-fossil fuel based power right? Well maybe. Well how about a few facts first. 1. Bonneville is a US Government supported entity (yeah they make a bunch of noise about trying to be an independent business, but you'll still find them under the Department of Energy. So why would I give money to a government agency that already gets revenues from hydropower and appropriations from Congress? 2. Windpower is primarily developed by private companies and wealthy individuals. Congress has passed tax subsides (Production Tax Credits) to promote private development of alternative energy sources. So why would I make a donation to a government agency to foster private development that is already getting significant tax relief? 3. Windpower is not green, no more than hydropower. Wind tubines kill birds, bats and other creatures just like hydropower turbines kill fish. Locating windmills in the proper places does a lot to reduce the number of birds killed but it does not eliminate bird kills. Also windpower developments take up a huge amount of space. I won't even discuss the other non-green aspects of windpower ike habitat fragmentation, noise and visual pollution. So why would I make a donation to a government agency to foster private development that is already getting significant tax relief? Hey folks its a SCAM. They are trying to play to the guilt of the SUV people by exploiting their ignorance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ireneo_Funes Posted December 21, 2004 Share Posted December 21, 2004 Maybe I should hang out at the Meadows parking lot and sell folks in SUVs my "Guilt Pass" for $2. All proceeds will go towards tuning up my bike, buying new trucks for my skateboard, buying new shoes for my walk to work... supporting my sustainable transport program will magically cancel out all their bad karma. Seriously, though...are there bird species that are threatened with extinction because of windmills placed in their migratory paths? Are you saying it's on a par with what the dams in the NW have done to the salmon population? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ducknut Posted December 21, 2004 Author Share Posted December 21, 2004 I don't know of any species that is being threatened with extinction from windpower. I do know that the Altamont Wind Farm in California kills abut 50 golden eagles per year and an equal number of red-tailed hawks. Nevertheless, my real point was I can't believe that they are trying to perpetrate this fraud and that there might be well-meaning people who get suckered into this scam. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ireneo_Funes Posted December 21, 2004 Share Posted December 21, 2004 There's a huge wind farm down by Palm Springs, CA. Driving by it at night on my way to Joshua Tree it looked really eerie. I wonder how much they think about migratory paths when they're building those windmills. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricardo_Montalban Posted December 21, 2004 Share Posted December 21, 2004 ACOE solution: -capture migratory birds down route of the wind farms -load them into cargo containers -truck them past the danger -release the birds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ducknut Posted December 22, 2004 Author Share Posted December 22, 2004 ACOE solution: -capture migratory birds down route of the wind farms -load them into cargo containers -truck them past the danger -release the birds LOL, ain't that the truth. But you forgot, have disoriented birds fy around in circles trying to figure out which way to fly. Ireno, that plant is pretty good as far as bird killing. But there sure are a lot of turbines in that plant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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