What do you think of wind turbines ?

I think they'll be part of the future whether we like them or not, so we'd all better get used to seeing them.

As part of a developing rewnewable energy policy they are extremely useful. Not ideal in all circumstances, but useful.

I have a two-metre one in my garden ... gives more power than I can use.

A few chopped up birds [allegedly], or continuing dependence on oil and coal, and all the pollution which that inevitably involves?

UPDATE: interesting to read these responses. I'm not sure what to say to the people who object on purely aesthetic grounds - other than to say that I have never seen a power station that looked as visually attractive as any wind-turbine.

To those people concerned about their environmental impact: yes, I understand the noise issue, which is why wind-farms are generally put as far away from people as possible. On the other hand, the world's environment is getting so badly screwed up in all other aspects that the problems caused by wind-farms pale into insignificance compared with their benefits.

Are they the whole answer? No, clearly not. There is a huge amount of very interesting work being done in all areas of renewable energy. There is a series of great programmes, under the heading "Horizons" on the BBC (if you can get it) about this work. One project has put a wave-powered turbine in a sea channel, a project which shows great promise ... and some people don't like THAT because "it doesn't look nice". Which, to be honest, I find an absurd argument. We need new sources of energy ... the aesthetics can come later.

Whatever your views on global warming and the environment in general, current sources oil, coal, and gas are running out. What do you want the future to be? An every more frenzied search for new sources, ripping into what are currently wilderness areas? Or an ever more serious look at less harmful (in all respects) alternatives?

I'm probably going to be round long enough to see the oil wells in the Arabian Gulf run dry, and I know which I prefer.

Sorry, but "wind-turbines don't look nice" just doesn't cut it as an argument.

They have some newer ones that are smaller (for home use) and come in a variety of shapes so they aren't quite so--industrial looking. Like solar panels, anything that helps us from having to pay the utility companies is a good thing, plus they aren't hurting the environment. I haven't got solar or wind power but if I ever had a house of my own I would look into it. Some of the houses in the neighborhood have solar panels on the roof (and I think it ought to be part of the building code in the sunnier parts of the country that they must have solar panels). For years the chimneys on our roof had these caps that kind of looked like chef's hats and our started to squeak all the time form the wind blowing them round and I thought it would have been so good to have a turbine there (don't know if you can put a turbine on a chimney but it's the idea).

There are some on the north side of town, I haven't heard about them killing birds here. I would love to have rooftop wind turbines to supply home electricity needs, the wind blows here most days enough to generate a good deal of electricity. The largest electric company in Oklahoma is investing in a wind farm to help supply the needs. This summer was the strangest one yet, with 100+ degree days we were having strong winds that would have helped to prevent some of the brown-outs that were happening on a regular basis. I never saw a combination of strong winds ever before in the month of August when the temperatures climb to over 100 degrees many days, most days the air doesn't even stir with such high temperatures.

The closest wind farm is10 miles away-there are a couple more around 20 miles away. I think they are about as interesting and at least as strange as those oil wells or whatever they are called south of us-pumping oil out in the middle of nowhere. They're rather eerie to drive past especially during a fog. They can be heard but not seen. I have to say I like them.

None near me but I've visited the high desert country east of L. A. and I saw them there. I think anything that helps us use the free energy provided by Mother Nature in a passive and nonpolluting manner is a good thing. Are they aesthetically appealing or a danger to wildlife ... the jury is still out here. I, personally, think they have an eerie kind of beauty.

However you feel about their obtrusiveness, noise, and harm to wildlife, they are an excellent option in producing clean, independent electricity. There are 400 ft. wind turbines across my state subject to a Ridge Law which wind developers would like to exempt them from. The Ridge Law prohibits structures exceeding 40 feet from being erected along ridge tops exceeding 3000 ft. Exceptions include chimneys, flagpoles, spires, steeples, belfries, cupolas, antennas, poles, wires, or windmills.

They are all around this area and within 6 miles of my home. They are a godsend for the farmers who have them on their property as the companies who own the turbines rent the land from the farmers and it is a substantial amount which helps keep the farmers from going bankrupt...

I agree that we need to find alternate clean energy source, but wind turbines have proven to be ineffective, inefficient, costly and unreliable. Not to mention they are an ugly blight on the land and kill thousands of birds (in some cases, endangered species) and make people sick. If we were talking about anything else, they would be considered a colossal failure. But because some people think they're "green" all of the negatives are given a pass. They are obviously not the right solution and our money would be more ideally used trying to find better solutions.

I think they are great. Nice clean way to make electricity. We had just a well learn to get along with them. After all people live next door to conventional power plants also. They get used to the noise from them as well.

The issue of killing birds is grossly blown out of proportion. It is estimate the common house cat and the automobile kill more birds than wind turbines. That makes all cat owners responsible. Also the people that run those turbines are aware of methods to reduce kills.

Common Eco-Myth: Wind Turbines Kill Birds

http://www.treehugger.com/renewable-energy/common-...

I think that they are quite nice to watch, from a distance, but those who live beneath them say that they are noisy and that there is no way of getting away from the constant hum that they make. I guess they didn't warn people in those areas how disturbing this sound would be and just painted to lovely picture of 'green' energy. From what I've read recently they are not as cost effective as we were all lead to believe they would be.