All posts by alt
Ontario today: spaghetti supper fundraisers vs jetset hotshots – Wind Concerns Ontario
Two events occurring over the last week are emblematic to us of the reality that is Ontario today: the most recent fundraiser dinner held by Mothers Against Wind Turbines, where friends and neighbours gather for food and laughter and to raise money for the fight to protect their community, and the Toronto gathering of the Green Energy bluebloods, full of self-congratulation. Sorry, we have no photos of what a bankrupt province looks like, which also made the news in the last week.
 |
| Donated centrepiece at MAWT fundraiser
|
Germany plans to curb energy transition
Climate protection groups are criticizing the German government’s plans to slow down renewable energy development. In spite of a recently decided coalition agreement, the debate about the right pace will continue.
Author Gero Rueter / nh November 30, 2013
…Göppel is angry that the party leadership deleted paragraphs from the coalition draft which the energy working group had deemed vital in their negotiations. If the coalition agreement is implemented as it currently stands, said Göppel, Germany risks losing its energy leadership role.
Ulrich Kelber, deputy chairman of the SPD’s parliamentary group, confirmed that many passages were deleted in the final phase of the coalition negotiations. He blamed chancellor Merkel personally. “Unfortunately, slowing down development of renewable energies was the political scalpel Merkel wanted to have,” Kelber told Deutsche Welle. He added that he didn’t expect such intervention on Merkel’s part, and also that he was surprised to see her wanting to change her own policy.
Wind Power Is Brought to Justice -Wall Street Journal
While it is heartening to see the Obama administration finally following the law, Justice’s decision might also indicate that the green bubble is about to burst.
Consider data from the American Wind Energy Association, an industry group. In 2012, when federal subsidies were flowing, wind companies installed a record 13,131 megawatts of new capacity—about 6,500 turbines. But installations have tanked this year amid uncertainty over the extension of the federal production tax credit, which offers companies a hefty 2.3 cent per kilowatt-hour subsidy. During the first three quarters of 2013, the domestic wind industry installed a mere 70.6 megawatts of new capacity. Wind-industry lobbyists are desperately trying to get the production tax credit extended again before it expires at the end of the year. The Duke case won’t endear them to the public.
The renewable-energy craze may also lose its lustre as the public discovers how expensive “green jobs” are. Texas is the top wind-energy state in the nation. But in January Texas Comptroller Susan Combs reported that each wind-related job in the Lone Star State is costing taxpayers $1.75 million.
There is also a public backlash against ruining scenic countryside with giant wind turbines. The outrage spans from the United Kingdom to Wisconsin. Last year, to cite just one example, about five dozen landowners in Herkimer County, New York filed a lawsuit against the owners of the Hardscrabble Wind Power Project. Their many complaints included reduced property values and excessive noise. To judge from news reports, suburban and rural residents don’t want 130-meter-tall windmills in their neighborhoods. They also don’t want the constant noise the turbines produce, or the relentless blink of the turbines’ red lights all night, every night.
Definitive proof that the green energy bubble has burst will come when the government brings more legal action against renewable companies for violating U.S. law. That may be happening: The Fish and Wildlife Service has 18 active investigations into bird kills at various wind-energy projects. Seven have been referred to Justice for prosecution.
And it may not be limited to wind energy. Last week, Chris Clarke of the California public television station KCET reported that the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System, a new solar-thermal plant in the Mojave Desert, killed 52 birds in October. Many of the birds were apparently killed by the intense heat generated by the project’s mirrors. It appears that the project is attracting birds, which means the deaths may increase when the facility reaches capacity. Mr. Clarke went on to opine that the solar-thermal projects now being built in the California desert “could well depress bird populations from the Arctic to the Panama Canal.”
Apologists for wind and solar power insist that wind turbines only kill a few birds while climate change is the real threat. Last month, in a letter to The Wall Street Journal, an official from the American Wind Energy Association said that wind energy “enables the U.S. to develop a diverse energy portfolio better equipped to fight climate change—the number one threat to wildlife, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.”
Perhaps that’s true. But everyone is threatened when the law is not applied equally, and so the Justice Department should continue ruffling the feathers of lawbreakers in the green-energy business.
Less nuclear means more greenhouse gases
John Spears Toronto Star
Deciding not to build new nuclear reactors will drive Ontario’s carbon emissions back to 2005 levels, says a McMaster University professor.
John Luxat, professor of nuclear safety analysis, told the Economic Club that foregoing nuclear in favour of renewable energy comes at the price of higher greenhouse gas emissions.
Ontario has said it won’t proceed with construction of two proposed new units at the Darlington nuclear station.
At the same time, the province is expanding renewable generation such as wind and solar.
Luxat, who worked for many years in Ontario’s nuclear power sector, said the problem with wind and solar is that they are intermittent, depending on weather. That means they require back-up to fill the gaps – a function largely performed in Ontario by natural gas-fired generators, which emit carbon dioxide.
John Spears mentions in the article how Germany has again turned to burning coal in response to the intermittency of wind and solar.
The result will be a rebound in its carbon emissions, Luxat said, as the Germans fill the gap with coal and coal-backed renewables.
That option will not be open to us here in Ontario as our Premier Wynne is on a mission to outlaw the use of coal.
http://blazingcatfur.blogspot.ca/2013/11/great-liar-kim-dong-wynne-great-fat.html
And read this article for a laugh. It made me feel better.
http://www.torontosun.com/2013/11/28/premier-kathleen-wynnes-wife-calls-for-funds-to-run-ad
Country Harvest Dinner – MAWT
MAWT was out in full force once again at the Silverdale Community Hall in St. Anne on November 27th 2013.. The Mothers Against Wind Turbines are a group of strong, determined and dedicated women. Who with their family members will not stop the fight to preserve their communities against the relentless onslaught of wind projects being forced unto them. The depth of talents and skills ranged from the cooking in the kitchen, dessert table submissions, and a large variety of crafts donated for the raffle table. Smiles and laughter rang out throughout but the purpose for the gathering was ever present. The year is drawing to a close and Christmas is just around the corner. The true strength of this group is being agents of change. The talk in the kitchen and the hall was positive and focused on what can be done and what is being done next in the wind battles. Today is the start of that change, and tomorrow will be the memories of yesterday. Hope you can join us and see you next time.
Climate talks: Polish environment minister sacked to accelerate shale gas operations
The Guardian
Well it looks like Poland just slapped the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change right in the face.
“This is nuts. Changing the minister leading the climate negotiations after a race to the bottom by parties of the convention shows Prime Minister Tusk is not sincere about the need for an ambitious climate deal,” said Maciej Muskat, director of Greenpeace Poland.
Its the comments after the article that one must also read. I found this interesting piece of information regarding Germanys highly trumpeted wind energy transformation. So with 30,000 installed capacity of wind, at Sunday at 3PM, it produced a shocking 200 MW!
You write: ‘No lights went out and no atomic powerstations had to be turned on again’. Let me ask: than what is the use of random wind and solar power generation, other than make you pay $0,40/kWh for your electricity?If you are interested in hard numbers and the way the ‘energiewende’ is going, this is an excellent article: http://tinyurl.com/k5kvrmbBy the way, regarding the ‘highly unusual event’, see http://tinyurl.com/kyey8db, actual windpower generated for 21/11/13. I think the record low was set last Sunday at 3 pm with about 200 MW or 0,6% of the installed wind capacity of 30.000MW.
Warsaw walkout: Big green groups bail on U.N. climate talks
By Ben Jervey Grist guest contributor
WARSAW, Poland – For the first time ever, environmental groups have staged a mass walkout of a U.N. climate summit. Citing immense frustration with the lack of productive action in the COP19 climate talks, which have been dogged by a persistent rift between rich and poor countries on the responsibility of paying for climate damages, hundreds of people from dozens of environmental groups and movements from all corners of the Earth have voluntarily withdrawn from the talks. According to a spokesperson for Oxfam, around 800 civil society members (which is the label applied to all advocate and activist types at these meetings) have walked out. In a joint statement, group leaders offered that “the best use of their time” was to now focus “on mobilizing people to push our governments to take leadership for serious climate action.”
These environmental extremists can just keep on walking. This is all about a wealth distribution scam and nothing about saving our planet. The fact that there has been no increase of the earths temperature in over 15 years should be front and centre at these UN climate talks. These are crooks and con artists. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.
Ontario set to avoid ‘over-committing’ on new, big energy projects
Shawn McCarthy The Globe and Mail- November 19,2013
Still reeling from its $1-billion gas-plant debacle, Ontario’s Liberal government says it will avoid making commitments for large-scale new power projects.
The province is expected to release its new long-term energy plan within a few weeks, as it faces fierce criticism over the cost of cancelling two gas-fired power plants and rising consumer prices.
Energy Minister Bob Chiarelli said the government will commit only to projects that address short-term power needs, and will provide annual updates on the rapidly changing supply and demand picture.
Read this excellent Globe and Mail opinion piece as well.
What exactly does he mean when he says “avoid making commitments for large-scale new power projects”? Better get my liars dictionary out so I can interpret. Huh, it says here that they will keep plastering our backyards with industrial wind turbine installations. Everbody should get one of these dictionaries. Handy.
Threat of bat fatalities stalls Maine wind project
By RACHEL OHM Morning Sentinel
BINGHAM — The review of a proposed 62-turbine wind farm project in this Somerset County town has been put on hold in part because of concerns about the danger the turbines might pose to bats being threatened by white-nose syndrome, a rapidly spreading fungal disease.
Little brown bats (pictured here) and northern long-eared bats are currently being evaluated for listing under the Maine Endangered Species Act and also the U.S. Endangered Species Act.
There is no estimated date for when the Bingham wind project might be approved by the Maine Department of Environmental Protection, Dan Courtemanch, project manager for the agency’s Division of Land Resource Regulation, said Monday. A decision was originally expected this month, he said.
Related articles
- Wind turbines blamed in death of estimated 600,000 bats in 2012 (upi.com)
- New study ups estimate of wind turbine bat deaths (summitcountyvoice.com)
- More Than Half a Million Bats Killed By Wind Turbines Each Year (counselheal.com)
- US Wind Turbines Linked to Death of More than 60,000 Bats: Report (scienceworldreport.com)
- Broken Bats: Wind Turbines and the Damage Done (spectrum.ieee.org)
- Windmills, 600,000; Bats, 0 (powerlineblog.com)
Mothers Against Wind Turbines Inc. 