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Forum Index : Off topic archive. : CSIRO finds stronger wind farm support...
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Gizmo Admin Group  Joined: 05/06/2004 Location: AustraliaPosts: 5012 |
"CSIRO finds stronger wind farm support than media reflects" "A CSIRO study has found there's stronger community support for wind farms than reported in newspapers. The case study looked at nine communities with wind farms and interviewed everyone from wind companies, to local government, turbine hosts and people both opposed to and supporting wind farms. One of the authors of the report "Acceptance of rural wind farms in Australia" Dr Jim Smitham says residents don't seek media attention to express their views. "In presenting a balance picture, if there are groups of people who have a single point of view and are very strident in expressing that, they might appear to drown out some of the wider group who have lots of other reasons for support," he says. " http://www.abc.net.au/rural/news/content/201201/s3409653.htm There's an interview on that page worth listening to as well. This makes sense. I've spoken to a lot of people about wind farms and its very rare I find someone who is dead set against them. A classic case of the vocal minority, silent majority. Glenn The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago, the second best time is right now. JAQ |
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norcold Guru  Joined: 06/02/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 670 |
Yeah see the same up here in NQ re. Mt Emerald proposed wind farm. It is so with so many issues, Coal Seam gas on farming land also has had a lot of negative attention yet The Australian recently run a different view from a group of farmers who have had such "exploitation" on their properties for 10 years plus. Do we blame the media? Or are they just portraying the views of the noisy minority? An old adage comes to mind "evil only exists whilst good men do nothing". Recently had a city rellie inform me "our" Bob Katter would have every inch of QLD cleared if he had his way, I answered I believe realistically he is more green than Bob Brown. This different view is brought about by the power of the media as individuals I guess we should ensure we make our own views known rather than sit on the fence, and support such projects but that usually comes at a cost. We come from the land downunder. Vic |
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| VK4AYQ Guru Joined: 02/12/2009 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2539 |
Hi Glenn and Vic The problem is that if things are not politically correct and sensational newsworthy they do not get reported, but if one pink and grey politician bird through it's stupidity gets a knock on the head from a windmill it's instant news. The two Bob's are politicians looking for votes and at extreme ends of the scale, both have a valid point to push but the real issues are glossed over in the news in favour of the last drive by shooting in out dens of iniquity. The problem in Australia is that we do not own our patch of land and any greedy commercial entity can come and explore out home or farm with the blessing of the idiots in Canberra on the excuse of national interest for export of our assets. What happens when all is exported in the future and we have no resources to fall back on and the government has nothing left to sell? They are too stupid to value add the resources and sell at prices around 10% of what we pay for the asset here and they call this managing the country, they are pawns for the commercial interests while overlooking the true value of the country. Vic, good men can try to do something and get arrested by the Pubic Serpants of the corrupt system. As is the comment from CSIRO "In presenting a balance picture, if there are groups of people who have a single point of view and are very strident in expressing that, they might appear to drown out some of the wider group who have lots of other reasons for support," Noisy Minority. All the best Bob Foolin Around |
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| norcold Guru Joined: 06/02/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 670 |
I am finding it hard to really get a grasp on just what the local protesters are on about, the complaints seem to be mainly around noise(which doesn`t seem a valid complaint) power transmission "radiation"(perhaps a valid complaint, who knows) hallucinating effect of blades turning between you and the sun and placement of turbines creating an "eyesore". They will be sited some 30k from me, much prefer them than nuclear or coal powered. Recent local rag had a letter to the editor supporting the turbines, whilst the first perhaps more will follow. Certainly it is risky to go against the vocal minority in a small community could leave you out on a limb socially. Seems with the media, if you take a contrary view chances are you`ll be "right" more than "wrong" in the long term. Bit like the financial investment markets. We come from the land downunder. Vic |
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| Gizmo Admin Group Joined: 05/06/2004 Location: AustraliaPosts: 5012 |
They had a piece on the ABC local radio this morning about how Queensland is falling behind the other states in wind farm take up, and the announcer asked for listeners to call in with their views on wind farms. I heard several callers, and most were very positive, one caller thought we should put the efforts into tidal instead of wind, and another raised the issue the winds in Queensland are not as consistant as the souther states, but the others callers were all for wind farms. One eldery lady said when she grew up a lot of people had Jacobs wind turbines in their back yards to generate their power before the grid was connected. All in all it was very positive and well informed comments. Glenn The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago, the second best time is right now. JAQ |
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| VK4AYQ Guru Joined: 02/12/2009 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2539 |
Hi Glenn As the cost of purchasing energy rises in the future it may well be that more people will look at installing either solar or wind on their houses as it was in the old days. A spread of more alternate energy can only benefit the environment in the long term, but unfortunately it will be driven by high energy costs. Most people that look at my little set up are impressed and positive, only had one school teacher point out all the dangers and down side of the project, some real and some imagined. When I was young prior to the grid coming in our area most farms had a wind generator and battery bank and a generator on the milking machine motor, all gone now unfortunately, but I foresee their return along with solar in the future. We must do what we can to spread the word. All the best Bob Foolin Around |
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| windlight Guru Joined: 03/03/2007 Location: AustraliaPosts: 331 |
I am old enough to relate to much of this thread, one dream that haunts me, is my being sought because I know how to crank up diesel power stations, of course this would imply massive grid failure. Fact of dream? A of J hoping my solar panels don't fail "I like this place and willingly could waste my time in it" - (Act II, Scene IV). |
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| norcold Guru Joined: 06/02/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 670 |
Tis true, whilst wind is getting the attention, why aren`t we supporting building massive solar farms along the grid where it is in the sunny inland. May not be 24/7 but neither is wind(at least in this area). Why does wind seem to get all the attention? At $1/watt solar must be getting competetive. Recall back a few years a concept was suggested of having panels mounted on power poles in sunny areas. Solar is the guts of most of our RE systems on the 4M isn`t it? Hands up those who rely on wind mainly for their complete system? We come from the land downunder. Vic |
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yahoo2 Guru Joined: 05/04/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1166 |
The power utilities are getting spooked! As soon as people realise that a lot of their power use can be shifted around during the day to match their panel output (like solar water heating has done) and the gap between the cost of buying power and generating power narrows, the power companies are going to have to be a lot more pleasant to deal with to keep our business. the mechanical timer may have its day in the sun yet 
I'm confused, no wait... maybe I'm not... |
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