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A Weblog monitoring coverage of environmental issues and science in the UK media. By Professor Emeritus Philip Stott. The aim is to assess whether a subject is being fairly covered by press, radio, and television. Above all, the Weblog will focus on science, but not just on poor science. It will also bring to public notice good science that is being ignored because it may be politically inconvenient.

Wednesday, March 29, 2006

If I hear once more in the media.....

...that wind farms are carbon free, I'll turn on my patio heater!

The idea is culpable casuistry. The base of a single, near-shore wind turbine requires around 500 tonnes of cement, 550 tonnes of sand and aggregate, and 100 tonnes of steel. For the cement alone, the fuel used and the calcining of the calcium carbonate emit some 625 tonnes of CO2, and this does not include transport. If you add the emissions and environmental damage associated with chalk and limestone quarrying, the dredging of sand and aggregate, and the production of the steel, the emissions per unit of intermittent power are high. Moreover, a turbine requires regular maintenance and rebuilding. Any corrective carbonation in the concrete takes 100s of years.

Philip, despairing at the world of make-believe constructed by our media 'Greens'. We really need some concrete facts to cement our future and make aggregate sense without throwing sand in our eyes. So steel yourself..... "Time for a wee dram?"

[New counter, June 19, 2006, with loss of some data]


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