Can you see something new on the horizon?
Perhaps you can see better in the picture below. Especially if you biggify it.
A cluster of huge wind turbines are being installed in Aberdeen Bay, a mile and a half out into the North Sea. Apparently they are among most powerful in the world, and this site is a test bed for new technology for offshore wind generation.
A good idea, don't you think? It is mighty windy in these parts, and surely the future lies in renewable energy. The world needs to learn to reduce its use of fossils fuels! And in Aberdeen in particular, the so-called Oil Capital of Europe, a new and more sustainable source of prosperity is sorely needed (or so the humans tell me).
Well you'll never believe this, but a certain very prominent person was totally opposed to the wind farm project. In fact he even tried to bully the authorities into refusing it permission. He said it would ruin the view from his golf course. (The one he bulldozed a protected conservation site to build).
But these golf links seem empty anyway, even on a nice spring Saturday afternoon.
And really, the the view from the dunes behind the course is not, in my opinion, in any way spoiled.
Long time readers of this blog will already have guessed that the owner of the (loss making) golf course is none other than a certain Donald J Trump. Perhaps some of you might even be interested in a few statistics, now that the Trump International course has been in operation for nearly six years.
Promised (2008): 6000 jobs, 2 golf courses, a new 450 room hotel, sports complex, timeshare flats, housing estate with several hundred new homes.
Delivered (2018): Less than 100 (full time equivalent) jobs, 1 golf course (closed for 5 months of the year), a 19 room hotel in an existing building, a small clubhouse with restaurant and shop, no houses. Plus devastation of an SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest) by ploughing up the ecologically precious and unique sand dune habitat and drenching the land with chemicals...
Bertie we hope the inmates of my Kraal will read your post... we have a real war in our village because of a windpark... they said nothing about the nuke in a nature reserve butt like that Don Coyote they fight now against da wind mills... oh my...
ReplyDeleteHari OM
ReplyDeleteBertie I think that is a most magnificent view! I find something stately and honest about wind turbines; perhaps not as decorative as those older models found on the Fens and Broads, but no less attractive to my eye.
Now, if we could only work out how to make them 'blow' wind as well as suck it, they could blast strong on July 13th and prevent a certain bird from landing. Jus' sayin'... Hugs and wags, YAM-aunty xxx
Bertie, we don't think those wind turbines in any way spoil the view, and certainly not the way an old fashioned power station would. It's good to know that they are bringing "clean" ecological power for future generations.
ReplyDeleteIt's very windy where we live and my human has wondered if she could have something similar, but on a smaller scale, to help with electricity here. Sadly the Spanish are very much behind in these matters on a domestic scale, as the electricity utilities don't like losing paying customers. Isn't that sad !
Love,
Inca xx
Those wind turbines would be working overtime down here today..its windy, cold, wet and WINTER!!!!
ReplyDeleteLoves and licky kisses
Princess Leah xxx
Sigh, why does none of this surprise us:( Amen to your words.
ReplyDeleteWoos - Lightning, Misty, and Timber
We're glad Trump didn't develop the area more...would completely ruin it.
ReplyDeleteOur ExPM and still a noisy backbencher, says wind farms look ugly, but coal electrical plants belching smoke into the atmosphere are beautiful....sigh!
We love the idea of Wind Turbines...and saw so many of them on our recent road trip!!
ReplyDeletexoxo,
Rosy
We have lots of wind turbines just west of us. They are pretty cool to see.
ReplyDeleteTrump is full of you know what
hugs
Hazel & Mabel
Wind turbines are very exciting the 21st centuries version of Windmills... we have some around Raleigh near NCSU. Once years ago somehow during the night one of the blades came loose and was on the side of the road where Mom traveled to work.
ReplyDeleteLovely day in your neck of the woods Bertie.
Hugs madi your bfff
Glad to see the wind turbines; sad to see the rest....
ReplyDeleteIt warms my heart to see the people there wanting just as little to do with That Person than I do...
ReplyDeleteOh Bertie, I, too, am not surprised by this. Sad, yes, surprised ~ no. Butts, maybe in time you can gets rid of that, and bring back the nature. They have done it here before ~ it takes lots of time, butts it can happen. I'll keep my paws crossed! Oh, and those turbines are just FABulous!
ReplyDeleteKisses,
Ruby ♥
So relieved that the wind power won out. And thank you for the update on those numbers. What a god-awful 45.
ReplyDeleteNope, I'm not surprised, either. Kinda predictable if you ask me. MOUSES!
ReplyDeleteWell, I hope renewable energy succeeds in creating profits AND cleaner air. It always befuddled me why this should be an either/or thing.
ReplyDelete