Bugs to excrete crude Oil.

[Chivewarrior]

See, around here the main problem with wind is that rich people think it will ruin their summerhome views. They've got all these plans for a wind farm all set up and the people who are only in the houses three months out of the year are complaining it will drive down their property values.

[Skynetmain]

See, around here the main problem with wind is that rich people think it will ruin their summerhome views. They've got all these plans for a wind farm all set up and the people who are only in the houses three months out of the year are complaining it will drive down their property values.

That is the same complaint about allowing off-shore drilling again. Living on the coast, it is not like there would be much to see that gets ruined here. The only two complaints for the entire coast line from Pismo to Cambria I would have is if they put a platform off of Montana de Oro and/or if they put a platform blocking the harbors, but I know engineers aren't dumb enough to do either and that the coastal oil is nowhere near those areas. They should just stop complaining. (PS: Off-shore oil won't be viable for about 5 years according to recent White House reports, although we should go for it.)

[theonlysaneone]

See, around here the main problem with wind is that rich people think it will ruin their summerhome views. They've got all these plans for a wind farm all set up and the people who are only in the houses three months out of the year are complaining it will drive down their property values.

That is the same complaint about allowing off-shore drilling again. Living on the coast, it is not like there would be much to see that gets ruined here. The only two complaints for the entire coast line from Pismo to Cambria I would have is if they put a platform off of Montana de Oro and/or if they put a platform blocking the harbors, but I know engineers aren't dumb enough to do either and that the coastal oil is nowhere near those areas. They should just stop complaining. (PS: Off-shore oil won't be viable for about 5 years according to recent White House reports, although we should go for it.)

I remember Ted Kennedy opposed an offshore wind farm that would have interfered with the view of the coastline from the Kennedy Compound. Isn't the horizon 25 miles away? Anything beyond that should not interfere with anyone's view, and they can drill in horizontally.

Another benefit of oil rigs is that they can become artificial reefs. I've heard of entire ecosystems developing around abandoned oil rigs.

[Asthaloth]

See, around here the main problem with wind is that rich people think it will ruin their summerhome views. They've got all these plans for a wind farm all set up and the people who are only in the houses three months out of the year are complaining it will drive down their property values.

That is the same complaint about allowing off-shore drilling again. Living on the coast, it is not like there would be much to see that gets ruined here. The only two complaints for the entire coast line from Pismo to Cambria I would have is if they put a platform off of Montana de Oro and/or if they put a platform blocking the harbors, but I know engineers aren't dumb enough to do either and that the coastal oil is nowhere near those areas. They should just stop complaining. (PS: Off-shore oil won't be viable for about 5 years according to recent White House reports, although we should go for it.)

I'm pretty sure that the major complaint is that a major spill would royally ruin the coast line.
Although I've heard 5 years is a conservative estimate.

[Christopher]

See, around here the main problem with wind is that rich people think it will ruin their summerhome views. They've got all these plans for a wind farm all set up and the people who are only in the houses three months out of the year are complaining it will drive down their property values.

Worse is when it's those blasted paupers! *adjusts monocle*

In Wellington a wind farm big enough to do about 100k homes has been on hold, downsized, and subjected to every planning hurdle by the farmers in the area who claim it'll make too much noise / disturb their sheep and the residents saying it will spoil their view. There are some very wrong things with these opinions, on the first, tell that to the sheep in Palmerston North that live under the windfarms and don't even notice them, secondly, the nature of a windfarm is that it should be quite windy - you can't hear anything anyway! As for the view, that's more subjective of a situation, personally I wouldn't mind, and apart from sheep, much of the 'view' is the fact it's a coastal area looking AWAY from the windfarms...

If you do look at the hills, the ones not covered in sheep are covered in the ugly pointy ecological pest Gorse. Oh how lovely. Again, I refer to Palmerston North where the windfarm is pretty unobtrusive, and has become something of a landmark.

I remember Ted Kennedy opposed an offshore wind farm that would have interfered with the view of the coastline from the Kennedy Compound. Isn't the horizon 25 miles away? Anything beyond that should not interfere with anyone's view, and they can drill in horizontally.

Another benefit of oil rigs is that they can become artificial reefs. I've heard of entire ecosystems developing around abandoned oil rigs.

Though you might get a few Sealands in the process

[theonlysaneone]

See, around here the main problem with wind is that rich people think it will ruin their summerhome views. They've got all these plans for a wind farm all set up and the people who are only in the houses three months out of the year are complaining it will drive down their property values.

That is the same complaint about allowing off-shore drilling again. Living on the coast, it is not like there would be much to see that gets ruined here. The only two complaints for the entire coast line from Pismo to Cambria I would have is if they put a platform off of Montana de Oro and/or if they put a platform blocking the harbors, but I know engineers aren't dumb enough to do either and that the coastal oil is nowhere near those areas. They should just stop complaining. (PS: Off-shore oil won't be viable for about 5 years according to recent White House reports, although we should go for it.)

I'm pretty sure that the major complaint is that a major spill would royally ruin the coast line.
Although I've heard 5 years is a conservative estimate.

5 years is nothing compared to the amount of time we'll be waiting for a commercially viable alternative to gasoline.

In Wellington a wind farm big enough to do about 100k homes has been on hold, downsized, and subjected to every planning hurdle by the farmers in the area who claim it'll make too much noise / disturb their sheep and the residents saying it will spoil their view. There are some very wrong things with these opinions, on the first, tell that to the sheep in Palmerston North that live under the windfarms and don't even notice them, secondly, the nature of a windfarm is that it should be quite windy - you can't hear anything anyway! As for the view, that's more subjective of a situation, personally I wouldn't mind, and apart from sheep, much of the 'view' is the fact it's a coastal area looking AWAY from the windfarms...

Isn't this the exact same objection that people have to oil drilling in ANWR; that it will disturb the caribou? At any rate, windmills are quite noisy: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/artic ... 82,00.html

[Christopher]

Isn't this the exact same objection that people have to oil drilling in ANWR; that it will disturb the caribou? At any rate, windmills are quite noisy: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/artic ... 82,00.html

There is a fair bit of a different between oil drilling and erecting windmills. I've never personally heard Wellington's current 1 wind turbine ever, nor when I visit my grandmother in Palmerston North heard their very large number of them. Nor do I think, I have been vibrated by them.

[Skynetmain]

5 years is nothing compared to the amount of time we'll be waiting for a commercially viable alternative to gasoline.

You mean the electric vehicles with ranges within the average American's daily travel distances that are on the market now will not be available for more than 5 years? (Average American daily travel distance is about 40 mi round trip while most EV are 60-100 mi range and cost US$ 0.02 to charge every night if you have a regular outlet.)
Or those biodiesel vehicles that just require an off the shelf diesel engine that exist now will not be available for 5 years? (Diesel engines were originally designed to run on vegetable oil when Diesel first built them)
Sure hybrids and conservation will not be available for 5 years since people just don't want to have vehicles that get more than 20 mpg. At least I am assured that most SUVs are finally as fuel efficient as my 10+ year old Volvo or my mom's 20+ year old Honda. There just aren't alternatives to using a lot of gas.

I see what you mean. There no alternatives to gasoline that exist right now. No long range electric vehicles. No biodiesel. No conservation or more fuel efficient vehicles to save what we have right now. Dang.

[theonlysaneone]

5 years is nothing compared to the amount of time we'll be waiting for a commercially viable alternative to gasoline.

You mean the electric vehicles with ranges within the average American's daily travel distances that are on the market now will not be available for more than 5 years? (Average American daily travel distance is about 40 mi round trip while most EV are 60-100 mi range and cost US$ 0.02 to charge every night if you have a regular outlet.)

I can't see myself ever buying one of those. While the average trip is about 40 miles, there are occasions where people need to travel further. A trip downtown from my house is at least 25 miles each way already. Add in driving to a restaurant, maybe taking the kids to school (I'm looking far into the future here) and I could definitely see myself driving more than that in one day. You also have to figure in headlights, radio, charging phones, GPS, backseat TVs, etc.

Also, what if the family wants to take a road trip and they have to cover, say, 500 miles in one day? This just isn't practical unless there's a way you can quickly charge up a car like that. Replacing gas stations with charging stations could work.