How can we solve the negative effects of ethanol and wind energy?

Question

How can we solve the negative effects of ethanol and wind energy?

Answer 1

We can discontinue trying to produce ethanol from crops grown on land that is suitable for food production. This leaves production on land that will not meaningfully support ethanol production. or use of ocean plant matter for bio fuels.

Wind machines are built with a goal to produce energy with the lowest material cost. We do get designs that are not optimal from a noise pollution standpoint. Even when placed 300 metres from residences they are still unpleasantly noisy... like being within the same distance of a major highway. For a major highway, we can manage the noise by reflecting the noise back on users of the highway with a fence or wall, or yet a berm. My home has such a berm that works perfectly for noise in the house,

But wind machines are much taller, and we would not want to have a fence or wall around them. A distance of 500 metres to housing appears to solve the problem. That is, if the wind farm developer purchases the homes before building, they can still sell houses 500 metres away. There may be a slight discount.

The same for 300 metres away, but the discount is likely more significant unless the houses are protected by a high noise fence.

Wind machines kill some birds, (as do windows.)

Air pollution from coal plants does likewise. We do not have wind farms big enough to be compared with a large coal fired plant . Coal may have as great an impact.

However we get less bird damage when blade tip speed is lower, To get tip speed lower we would need to increase the number of blades, which in total reduces power with the same amount of material in the tower and turbine.

Answer 2

Please explain the "negative effects of wind energy?"  There are no real or serrious ones.

For ethanol, people need to stop buying into the "make corn into ethanol" load of garbage.  The general public REALLY needs to be educated about the whole corn gimick!

Food prices are going to soar!

~Garnet

Homesteading/Farming over 20 years

Answer 3

Sustainable management of cropland and wind farms.

Weigh the drawbacks and incentives instead of jumping in feet first with dollar signs in one's eyes, only focusing on immediate positives and profitability and not long term effects.

Make decisions based on scientific peer-reviewed research and design. Listen to researchers.

Protect native prairie, wetlands, and wildlife habitat from being converted to farmland (often once regarded as undesirable for crops) or reduced/decimated from wind farm development.

Realize this is not THE solution, only part of the solution, if and only if it is done responsibly. Otherwise, it becomes a new problem.