Ireland to build 'giant' wind turbines to power UK homes

[God14]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-21147279

Just read the above report, surely this is some sort of sick joke?

[Onion Bag]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-21147279

Just read the above report, surely this is some sort of sick joke?

Sick joke, explain? this industry is really going to take off in the next few years creating jobs for construction, logistics and green environmental companies

[armaghniac]

It will create jobs for construction for a short while. But these turbines will be there for many years after that without any real benefit to Ireland.

[God14]

Surely there is enough land in England & Wales for them to build & use their own wind turbines - on their own land!!

[highorlow]

Surely there is enough land in England & Wales for them to build & use their own wind turbines - on their own land!!

What land does the fuel come from that you put into your car or to heat your house?

[Hardy]

Surely there is enough land in England & Wales for them to build & use their own wind turbines - on their own land!!

Dead right. We should stop exporting beef and butter and bacon to them too. Let them rear their own feckin cattle and pigs and leave us out of it. Problem is, they might retaliate by refusing to let us watch Coronation Street and Manchester United. Where would we be then?

[laoislad]

I hope they are looking for sub contractors to throw a few cables in.!

[deiseach]

Problem is, they might retaliate by refusing to let us watch Coronation Street and Manchester United. Where would we be then?

Hear, hear!*

*[excluding following Liverpool]

[johnneycool]

Multi nationals employ people who pay tax and the odd time pay corporation tax themselves into the exchequer. These wind farms will have very little sustainable long term employment, 100 people max, so it all depends on the tax take from the exported electricity if its a good thing for Ireland..

[God14]

What about the long term damage to our environment lads? These things are 180meters tall, and for the project to work there will be loads of them!!
Yes - a small number of people will earn a living wage out of the proposal, but what impact will these windmills have on the people who live in the area?

Exporting beef & butter doesnt damage the environment lads so its not fair to make such a comparison

How would you like to live in an area where they are been erected? These things would dwarf those erected in Co. Derry, and they are bloody awful looking and have certainly devalued the area

[fitzroyalty]

What about the long term damage to our environment lads? These things are 180meters tall, and for the project to work there will be loads of them!!
Yes - a small number of people will earn a living wage out of the proposal, but what impact will these windmills have on the people who live in the area?

Exporting beef & butter doesnt damage the environment lads so its not fair to make such a comparison

How would you like to live in an area where they are been erected? These things would dwarf those erected in Co. Derry, and they are bloody awful looking and have certainly devalued the area

Are these bogs not massive, I didn't think there'd be too many people living in and around them? What's the lifespan on these things?

[Billys Boots]

What about the long term damage to our environment lads? These things are 180meters tall, and for the project to work there will be loads of them!!
Yes - a small number of people will earn a living wage out of the proposal, but what impact will these windmills have on the people who live in the area?

Exporting beef & butter doesnt damage the environment lads so its not fair to make such a comparison

How would you like to live in an area where they are been erected? These things would dwarf those erected in Co. Derry, and they are bloody awful looking and have certainly devalued the area

Wind turbines don't cause environmental damage - the only perceived negative impact they have is visual; they do produce some noise impacts locally too I suppose.  Planning tends to remove that impact through siting appropriately. 

Production of beef and butter for export, through agriculture, on the other hand has several significant impacts on our environment - recognised by the legislation in place for nearly 20 years regulating their operation and management.  I would imagine that the export of green electricity would have much less impact on our environment than agricultural exports. 

That said, much of our electricity is currently imported from Britain via the interconnector - I understand that much of it comes from nuclear power.  I'm presuming that most of this new green power will be exported also via the interconnector, no?  I personally think it's a very good day for Ireland's economy. 

[highorlow]

With most of these developments an Environmental Impact Statement is carried out.

As mL said plenty of ghost estates around the country are an environmental blight with blocked up sewers, fly tipping, hoarding falling down and vermin running around the place.

If your that worried about the environment do something useful and write to your local TD about your nearest ghost estate which is most probably in the condition I've outlined and quit complaining about something that is productive for the country.

[camanchero]

What about the long term damage to our environment lads? These things are 180meters tall, and for the project to work there will be loads of them!!
Yes - a small number of people will earn a living wage out of the proposal, but what impact will these windmills have on the people who live in the area?

Exporting beef & butter doesnt damage the environment lads so its not fair to make such a comparison

How would you like to live in an area where they are been erected? These things would dwarf those erected in Co. Derry, and they are bloody awful looking and have certainly devalued the area

Wind turbines don't cause environmental damage - the only perceived negative impact they have is visual; they do produce some noise impacts locally too I suppose.  Planning tends to remove that impact through siting appropriately. 

Production of beef and butter for export, through agriculture, on the other hand has several significant impacts on our environment - recognised by the legislation in place for nearly 20 years regulating their operation and management.  I would imagine that the export of green electricity would have much less impact on our environment than agricultural exports. 

That said, much of our electricity is currently imported from Britain via the interconnector - I understand that much of it comes from nuclear power.  I'm presuming that most of this new green power will be exported also via the interconnector, no?  I personally think it's a very good day for Ireland's economy.

thats similar to my own view on this also.

ok the jobs created might not all be long term - but any flurry of work for people and a financial injection into all levels of the economy is great - until more longer term work comes back this way for the ex construction/manufacturing workers.

remember a couple of decades ago, there was a lot of seasonal workers- full time long term employment was not always readily available.

[Rudi]

Good news for Irish economy. Shit load of steel and concrete needed in the foundation for one of them turbines. Technology is hardly new, the Dutch have been at it for ages. Would like to see more private  housing projects done in this manner, with a facility to sell excess to the national grid. Renewable energy is the way to go.