From Jul 8, 2011 |
Peering through the window of an antiques shop in Wilmington, North Carolina, I met this little fellow doing all he could do drum up business. I turned around, then, and my daughter and I were regaled with stories of how offshore wind power would save the free world from strip mining. I didn't quite buy the biz that windmills would create artificial reefs that would be good for marine life. Nor did I hear much about the effect these things would have on sea turtles, whose built-in GPS systems are the result of 120 million years of evolution and don't deserve to be the victim of our hubris in the form of electromagnetic fields given off by these pylons. I think the power outages caused by tornadoes and hurricanes and even earthquakes should remind us we can get along without the stuff and cause us to rethink the justifications we come up with to tear up the natural world to make "the stuff" possible.
Wordless Wednesday
15 Comments
so true sandy.
ReplyDeleteTechnology is nice but it is not good to be dependent on it.
A very surreal image. And interesting thoughts - we are so dependent on technology (myself included).
ReplyDeletewindmills..great in theory, not without serious issues. I was just reading about all the eagles killed by the things in, I believe, california.
ReplyDeleteeverything has a price.
i like your header photo...i'm returning from rainy cold iceland today to hot hot las vegas....111 degrees I hear.
ReplyDeleteIt is frustrating to be so tied to technology!! The outages give us as chance to discover that we can make it unplugged!!
ReplyDeleteSigh!
Hugs
SueAnn
Amen. and...I like your dreamy photo.
ReplyDeleteTechnology is a constant subject to discussion and a source of controversy. We can not stop progress, but at times I too wonder how much we gain from it.
ReplyDeleteWindmills are a huge hit in Denmark and there are huge off shore plants and they seem to be very successful, supplying power to large area of Denmark.
But then someone told me once that a windmill can in its life time never create as much energy as it has costs to produce it. That is something serious to ponder I believe.;)
Love that bird image.;)
xoxo
Hmmm, I'd never thought about the electromagnetic effects on sea turtles before.
ReplyDeleteWind turbines are pretty darn ugly is why I don't like them. Plus the main economics is the tax credits. And they kill tons and tons of birds every year.
Yes, it seems we could just get along with less. And it is important to consider the outcome of what we do.
ReplyDeleteVery thoughtful post!
well said dear lady!
ReplyDeleteNever ending debate.
ReplyDeleteGreat pic with the thought.
Offshore windmills? Really? That sounds crazy. I do think we should use more solar panels. I haven't heard of them killing birds or confusing turtles, so far...
ReplyDeleteWhy don't people have solar panels installed on their roofs? I have but I am the only one in the neighbourhood.
ReplyDeleteWe depend so much on electricity. Without electricity we are helpless.
Fortunately you call this wordless wednesday, how long your text would have been if it was not wordless, lol !
ReplyDeleteHowever it's very interesting, but honnestly I couldn't live without my GPS anymore, because I have no sense of orientation and can't even read a map.
I feel sad when I see the little bird in it's cage and this awful weather !
Back to basics eh!
ReplyDeleteLove the shot.
Thanks for being here.