The Midwest Is Going Off The Grid ... One Turbine At A Time

[Joanne98]

As a Midwest-based venture capitalist, I focus on rapid growth sectors for the Midwest (particularly in Michigan), and one sector I have recently fallen in love with is wind energy. Okay, maybe not love, but certainly lust.

It is lust not solely for the wind industry's rapid rate of growth (yeah, VCs have a curious list of turn-ons), but lust for the promise that wind energy brings. To me, harnessing the power of the wind to power the normal functions of our lives without harming the planet is both beautiful and romantic, and it makes a ton of logical, ecological and economic sense.

The wind will blow regardless of what us humans do -- it is there for the taking -- no proactive, destructive actions like digging up the land, drilling the ocean bed or diverting the natural course of our waterways are required to generate our needed megawatts. As my evangelical environmentalist friend puts it, "wind is the sweet breath of God" blowing across our landscape, capable of charging our phones, toasting our bread and keeping us cool under a blazing sun. (An interesting concept, though having grown up downwind of Chino, California's enormous dairy farms, many days I wished God used some Tic-Tacs.)

My infatuation with wind power was titillated on a recent evening, while of all things watching a dreadful Monday Night Football game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Cleveland Browns. (Man, do the Browns stink! They actually made me feel good, even if for a fleeting moment, about being a Detroit Lions fan.) In what was a forgettable game, an unforgettable image was emblazoned in my mind: A tall, white wind turbine gently spinning just beyond the Cleveland football stadium's walls.

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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeff-bocan/the-midwest-is-going-off_b_365698.html

[phantom power]

1. "no proactive, destructive actions "

except for the part where we build them and install them.

[Demeter]

2. A Lot Less Than Any Other Option

Beauty is in the eye of the person who needs the electricity.

[phantom power]

3. I'm talking about environmental impacts, not aesthetics.

We might not have to mine fuel to run them, but we sure do have to mine the raw materials to build them and manufacture them and maintain them.

That observation is not necessarily an argument against them. It is, however, far from being impact free.

[diane in sf]

6. wind power has the least environmental impact of all energy generation types

it's relatively cheap and fast to install.

[JohnWxy]

4. I love the smell of coal fumes in the mornin'

[Uncle Joe]

5. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, Joanne.:thumbsup: