usvi-on-line
First Windmill on St. John Rises on Bordeaux Mountain
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RidgeRunner
- Posts: 47
- Joined: Tue Apr 21, 2009 4:28 pm
- Location: WNC
AgreedClevelandDave wrote:Eyesore!
Different strokes...
Water pollution
Air pollution
Noise pollution
Is there such a thing as "sight pollution?"
They're talking about wind farms offshore in Lake Michigan here in West Michigan as well. Proponents admit they would be very visible from shore. Many residents, including myself, are up in arms over their plans to destroy the beautiful panorama of the lake with those polluting spinning monstrosities. I can't imagine those things dotting the horizon as a back-drop to all our beautiful sunsets over the lake....Muhaha wrote:There has been some discussion here in Chicago about placing a windmill farm a few miles offshore in Lake Michigan in order to remove the eyesore and noise objections. I'm curious if this has been debated in the V.I.
Where are the environmentalists now to protect our lake from pollution? Green? I think not.
Years back, we used to spend a lot of time on Block Island.
The only source of electricity on the island came from a noisy, stinky, ugly disiel generator. Electricity was insance expensive. (Friends of ours owned a house there)
Someone tried to erect a windmill on their property for their own use and cause a huge stink. There were lawsuits flying back and forth and it went on for years. I don't know if he was ever able to do it or not.
The only source of electricity on the island came from a noisy, stinky, ugly disiel generator. Electricity was insance expensive. (Friends of ours owned a house there)
Someone tried to erect a windmill on their property for their own use and cause a huge stink. There were lawsuits flying back and forth and it went on for years. I don't know if he was ever able to do it or not.
Seems that most folks have easily adapted to the sight all of the concrete monstrosities defacing the hillsides of STJ. Once people were sickened by Grande Bay, now people happily stay there. I expect that folks will quickly adapt to windmills all over the remaining hillsides and actually come to love them and be photographed leaning against one.
I'm of the mind to agree with you here. Anything new is bad...but you get used to it. That doesn't make it good, but you get used to it.Lex wrote:Seems that most folks have easily adapted to the sight all of the concrete monstrosities defacing the hillsides of STJ. Once people were sickened by Grande Bay, now people happily stay there. I expect that folks will quickly adapt to windmills all over the remaining hillsides and actually come to love them and be photographed leaning against one.
Are they gonna put a windmill underwater? No? Then I'm OK with it if it's good for the local residents.
Pip...
Funny you make the underwater comment...
There is renewable energy research taking place into harvesting energy from ocean currents, waves, and tides.
Scroll down a little on the following page to figure 1:
http://ocsenergy.anl.gov/guide/current/index.cfm
http://www.nrel.gov/docs/gen/fy07/40461.pdf
Before anybody gets too concerned, it's a ways off and as currently conceived wouldn't be near any StJ snorkeling locations... The potential for windmills on the hillside is much greater...
Funny you make the underwater comment...
There is renewable energy research taking place into harvesting energy from ocean currents, waves, and tides.
Scroll down a little on the following page to figure 1:
http://ocsenergy.anl.gov/guide/current/index.cfm
http://www.nrel.gov/docs/gen/fy07/40461.pdf
Before anybody gets too concerned, it's a ways off and as currently conceived wouldn't be near any StJ snorkeling locations... The potential for windmills on the hillside is much greater...
So you'll go along with anything bad because one day everyone will "get used to it?" Why would anyone want to live like that? Say the government changed the tax brackets and you now owe 50% of everything you make. But thats ok, eventually you'll get used to it.pipanale wrote:I'm of the mind to agree with you here. Anything new is bad...but you get used to it. That doesn't make it good, but you get used to it.
Bryan
Who said the windmill (and future ones) was a bad thing? I didn't.BRY1105 wrote:So you'll go along with anything bad because one day everyone will "get used to it?" Why would anyone want to live like that? Say the government changed the tax brackets and you now owe 50% of everything you make. But thats ok, eventually you'll get used to it.
Matter of opinion here. It's not an argument that either side is going to "win".
You're right. But I stand by my original statement. I am all for clean renewable energy as long as there doesn't become too many of them. I'd hate to see windmills ruin the reason most of us go there; its natural beauty.pipanale wrote:Matter of opinion here. It's not an argument that either side is going to "win".
Bryan
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ClevelandDave
- Posts: 291
- Joined: Wed Sep 10, 2008 3:51 pm
- Location: Cleveland
Ya pave paradise, put up a...windmill.Lex wrote: I expect that folks will quickly adapt to windmills all over the remaining hillsides and actually come to love them and be photographed leaning against one.
Sorry, Pip. That really doesn't play in Poughkeepsie. Face it, local residents don't fuel the economy of STJ, tourism does. Local residents, for the most part, make their living from ...tourism, directly or indirectly.pipanale wrote: Then I'm OK with it if it's good for the local residents.
If you significantly alter the natural beauty of STJ, you risk a negative impact on the very engine of its economy.
What good is it for your electric bill to be down 25% if you can't afford it since you got laid-off when visitation dropped off by 30%.
Gotta watch out for the law of unintended consequences.
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California Girl
I find it an interesting observation that all of the people debating in this thread are "tourists," people who visit, on average, 1 or 2 weeks a year.
Other than Ruth and Xislandgirl, no residents have weighed-in on this. It would be interesting to hear what the locals think of windmills. The way I read it, the current windmill is privately owned and won't necessarily benefit anyone but the residents of the property it is located on.
Other than Ruth and Xislandgirl, no residents have weighed-in on this. It would be interesting to hear what the locals think of windmills. The way I read it, the current windmill is privately owned and won't necessarily benefit anyone but the residents of the property it is located on.
Thanks CG...
As a bona fide local, I would be very pleased to have a community wind project on St. John.Given the density our population has reached, there may not be a place where large turbines could be sited on land without noise issues for those within a .50 mile-to 1 mile radius. This is the only issue I consider worth discussing.
Appearance? What makes these uglier than the cruise ships, mega-yatches or big fiberglass boats that spoil my views of surrounding islands? Or, indeed Sirenusa, Grande Bay, Wharfside, Pond Bay, the 200- ft. Bordeaux communications tower, ad nauseum?
Would any of you understand why I find it so offensive every time the tourism economy is brought up as something desirable? Do you have any idea of what has been lost here? I'm not trying to insult anyone, I'm just pointing out that people were happy, very happy, on St. John in the past, without any economy to speak of. The bigger the tourism, the more people move here, from both the States and other Caribbean Islands. The more our almost non-existent infrastructure is strained and our fragile environment is damaged. How is this good if it keeps growing?
As a bona fide local, I would be very pleased to have a community wind project on St. John.Given the density our population has reached, there may not be a place where large turbines could be sited on land without noise issues for those within a .50 mile-to 1 mile radius. This is the only issue I consider worth discussing.
Appearance? What makes these uglier than the cruise ships, mega-yatches or big fiberglass boats that spoil my views of surrounding islands? Or, indeed Sirenusa, Grande Bay, Wharfside, Pond Bay, the 200- ft. Bordeaux communications tower, ad nauseum?
Would any of you understand why I find it so offensive every time the tourism economy is brought up as something desirable? Do you have any idea of what has been lost here? I'm not trying to insult anyone, I'm just pointing out that people were happy, very happy, on St. John in the past, without any economy to speak of. The bigger the tourism, the more people move here, from both the States and other Caribbean Islands. The more our almost non-existent infrastructure is strained and our fragile environment is damaged. How is this good if it keeps growing?