I received an email this week about the hazards of using windmills to generate wind energy. The message was accompanied by some pretty spectacular images (some of which I’m sharing with you here) and a message that explains that the photos show what happens when transmission failures occur in windmills. The alleged originator of the message (it was forwarded to me) included a message that says, “I've been following the literature on this issue for years, and to date no gear oil has been invented to withstand the pressures produced within these transmissions. Most recently, the government gave Dow-Corning a big grant to work on it. Previously, many others had tried and failed.” Not one to believe things just because they show up in my Inbox, I did some research online. I didn’t find any of the pictures in the email, but I did find some other things. Not only are there many YouTube videos with windmills self-destructing, there are also some news reports. I don’t think all of the videos were contrived; so at least there is some basis for believing that wind energy isn’t as “clean” as you might otherwise expect. And they look extremely dangerous. One news story I found reported a windmill crippled by excessive wind in 2005. The windmill was part of a wind farm in Palm Springs. A photo included in the story shows what the approach to the North Palm Springs looks like. I don’t know about you, but I don’t find this very attractive. Personally, I would rather see a bunch of jackups offshore.
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