Many if not most of these myths have been created and propagated by Nuclear and fossil fuel lobbyists,here and abroad for their own selfish financial interests ,examples include Exxon mobile (ESSO here in the UK) funding unskilled lobby groups to the tune of multi million Dollars to slow the introduction of renewables.
http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/campaigns/global-warming-and-energy/exxon-secrets
http://royalsociety.org/document.asp?tip=1&id=5851
Subsidies
According to the UK Nuclear Decommisioning Authority ,the UK taxpayer is responsible and Will have to pay for the decommisioning of the UK's exsiting Nuclear power plant stock at estimated at £83 BILLION ,Plus a deep repository at between £25 Billion -£30 Billion taking some 20-30 years for construction and guarding,Insuring of the toxic waste for many thousands of years.
This equates to 128 times more subsidy than ALL of the renewables in the UK have received and does not include Military and Police guarding of waste,Insurance etc for Nuclear.
According to the United Nations and the UK Conservative partys report Quality of Life challenge ,for every £1 spent on renewables , Fossil fuels receive between 6-8 times more.
http://www.qualityoflifechallenge.com/
Coal miners in the UK have been treated abysmally with thousands suffering from lung diseases and many dying in collapses and explosions.The UK government has finally paid £3.6 Billion to exminers to help them live out the last remaing time of their considerably shortened life.
Most of the UK's coal is imported (60-70%) from Russia,Colombia,Poland and Australia,due to lower environmental,social protection and huge subsidies reducing the overall price.
Recently the chancellor offered (Taxpayer funded) £30 billion decommisioning subsidy for old north sea oil and gas platforms ,£3 billion reduction for reinvestment and another £250million for older fields.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-19515932
Many Countries encourage renewables take up with 'Feed in tariffs' ,in the UK Government policy is to offer a very similar scheme , ROC's for every MWH produced until the proposed 'Feed in tariff ' is finalised for small producers additionally.These can be claimed by any renewables generator ,including Charities,Community groups ,collectives,householders and Business (hopefully by april 2010 upto 5Mw Maximum).
Strangely Nimbys feel ROC'S are for Wind only. FACT it is for any renewables and is paid for MWH produced only not to sit idle like Wylfa Nuclear power station did for 12 months!.
Bird Kills by Wind farms
The onshore wind industry is a mature technology now,having gone through its prototype trials and early models (like the present wave and tidal flow schemes are now) and weaknesses are now mostly understood.Especially sitting and design ,resulting in multi year environmental studies with various government agencys pre application.
Many anti renewables groups misunderstand that bird kills are now extremley low and rare due to the industry going through a steep learning curve and European regulation are very thourough and strict involving detailed independent bird studies before planning applications.The RSPB and Natural England study and are statoury consultees as per law.
To put it into perspective in the RSPB 's own figures show modern turbines are expected to kill 1-2 birds per year,whereas Birds of prey biggest threat is Posion Bait on shooting estates,egg collectors and climate change ,Cars in the UK kill over 10 MILLION birds, 7 million domesticated cats kill over 56 MILLION and UK citizens eat over 600 MILLION birds every year.
Noise
Anyone who has visited a wind farm (Something I highly recommend) will come away confused as to why the nimbys claim that wind farms are noisy.The Old early trial turbines where far noiser so that is possibly where that myth has arisen. Psychiatrists continue to study Nimbys and continue to try to understand their lack of understanding and Knowledge especially the old quote 'I support Renewables ,just not here!'.
Modern turbines have removed most sources of Noise (especially the gearbox of the old machines) and by law (ETSU-97) MUST NOT EXCEED preconstruction background noise levels,Usually 35db +/- 5db for rural areas (humans cannot distingush +/- 2db ).
A quiet libaray is approx 35 - 40db ,the wind itself is at higher levels above 7 m/s(UK average) and rainfall and bird song is between 50-55db.
Studies into noise from wind farms and how it may affect local residents have been carried out by the UK Government. In August 2007, the UK's most comprehensive study into sound created by wind farms concluded that, despite arguments to the contrary, the incidence about noise is low. Acoustics researchers at Salford University investigated complaints of the noise created by aerodynamic modulation (AM) a phenomenon sometimes compared to the sound of a distant train. It was discovered that the number of complaints about noise from wind turbines is relatively insignificant compared with complaints about other noise sources. The study found that 239 formal complaints over a 15 year period (an average of just 16 each year), for the whole of the UK, were made in respect of wind turbines. This compares with the national average of more than 300,000 per single year for noise complaints in general.
Of the modern Wind Turbines in the Uk, 16 per year have had noise complaints (2000 turbines in the UK),3 upheld (mostly due to older turbines ~25 year life) compared to 300,000 general noise complaints!!.
VIsual Impact or/and Amenity
This ridiculously is the major reason for rejection of ALL renewables in the UK,especially when you consider that over 50 independent surveys have shown 80% support for the largest visual renewable (onshore wind) with the most common comment that they are beautifull ,gracefull and inspiring ,which ironically has the least environmental impact of ALL of our electrical power generators.
It fundamentally comes down to subjective issues when considering the visual impact and as such is of very little releavance.
Large finite nuclear, Incinerators and fossil fuels power stations cannot be considered 'beautifull or iconic,gracefull ,or in harmony with nature as renewables are,but they are still approved regardless of their visual impact due to their huge taxpayer funded subsidies that dwarf that of renewables.
Coal ,tar oil sand ,gas and Uranuim mines cover hundreds of Acres,Raping the land,polluting rivers ,air and soils for centuries,Killing and maiming Thousands of people every year (8,000 in China alone) in explosions,collapses,floods ,lung disease etc ,dispacing communities across the world regardless of environmental cost with huge areas of land lost to wildlife,but ironically nimbys consider themselves 'environmentalists'!,their real agenda and funding is obvious.
Every community urgently needs to have full responsibilty for our huge needs for power generation.An Iconic,beautifull wind farm ,gracefully farming our Indigenous wind not raping our only planet,our only home needs to be approved as urgently as possible in every area as soon as possible.
Make your own mind up,Finite fossil fuel or nuclear power station and associated mines and massive damage or numerous decentralised renewables.Visit an open cast mine then visit and climb a modern turbine (right the top of the tower ) in Norfolk ,Call first for availability.
http://www.ecotricity.co.uk/projects/turbine_tours.html
EFFICIENCY
Please tell me how we can compare the efficiency of of a costed finite fuel electricity power station(nuclear,coal,gas,oil,incinerator etc) with a free fuel?.
This is rountinely confused with capacity and load factor and occasionally with availability.
Onshore wind is producing varaible power 70-85% of the time ,comparable with finite thermal plant.
Finite (mostly imported ) Coal power generation averages 28% efficiency. 72% is wasted up the chimney and cooling stacks!!
Finite Gas power generation averages 35-40% efficiency ,again 60-65% wasted up the chimney or dumped into the rivers!.
Finite Nuclear has a thermal effeciency averages 33.5% needing the sea or large rivers to dump the 66.5% 'wasted 'heat !.
Renewables DO NOT waste their production of energy and their fuel is FREE and Infinite.The fuels are indigenous ,not needing huge shipping transport across the world to be Dumped,nor cause massive long term environmental,social and economic damage.
Modern onshore wind farms convert on average 30-56% of their Maximum capacity into electicity production .
http://www.berr.gov.uk/whatwedo/energy/statistics/source/total/page18424.html
RELIABILITY
The UK National grid has found no problem with intergrating 35-40% variable wind power into the grid ,with remainder easily filled by the other renewables.
Our Nuclear fleet is intermittent ,unsafe and unreliable with 7 out ouf 16 out of action for months in october 2007 and the Nuclear inspectorate having considerable misgivings about seroius growing Fractures in the safety of the graphite moderators of many of our ageing plants.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2006/oct/26/greenpolitics.nuclear
In May 08 Sizewell B tripped causing blackouts for 500,000 people across the UK ,graphically showing why centralised huge out of site power generation is outmoded and incapable of meeting our present and future needs.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/may/28/britishenergygroupbusiness
