Zero-Emission Fossil Fuels

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

It was just a snarky comment pointing out that renewables are, on balance, much safer that fossil fuels.

And yes, wind turbines kill (according to some estimates) about 300 000 birds worldwide every year.  Out of a total bird population of 400 billion.  This is something under .0001%. Trust me - the bird population is in no danger.

As for how much wind can power, a 3 MW turbine can generate about 6 million KwH of electricity in a year (an average house uses about 4000 KwH in a year).  We currently get about 5% of our electric here from wind power. Not a huge amount, true, but it is projected to triple over the next 10 years.

Boru

I'm not against wind power, but it's not a replacement for fossil fuels and never will be. I also grew up in an area with a lot of wind turbines, and it's a really really windy place. However most places aren't. There will never be enough wind to power diddly squat.

The bit I bolded is simply not true. In another three years, wind power is expected to supply 15% of all household electricity in the EU (that number is a bit higher if we add in industrial applications of wind generated electricity, but let's keep it simple). The population of the EU is roughly 750 million people. 15% of that is a little more than 110 million.

Supplying electricity to 110 million people is 'diddly squat'? Come on. Elimination of wind power in Europe would be the equivalent of Poland, Romania, the Netherlands, Belgium, Greece, Portugal, and about half of Sweden going dark.

Will wind ever be the sole source of power generation for the planet? Of course not. But to contend that it isn't a viable adjunct to other forms of power is simply wrong and misinformed.

Boru