[at-l] RE: Windmills

[yumitori@montana.com (Ron Martino)]

> Which would you rather have is all I'm saying.  

	And I'm suggesting that we choose door number three. We aren't limited
to the two options you suggest; indeed the choices are legion. And they
don't all involve foisting development of onto others, as Clifford
suggested the goal of some of us was.

> Solution number three, and the most reasonable.  Stop using so much
> electricity to begin with.  If the demand for electricity isn't there they
> wouldn't have to build anymore generating facilities.  As everyone has been
> seeing in the past few months when demand drops so do prices because
> supplies start to get to large and force the prices down.  With electricity,
> it can't be stored so less is made.  I know the hydro dam on the CT and the
> Kennebec are both on demand dams.  They only produce electricity when the
> demand is there.  No demand equals no reason to produce.  Everyone is the
> reason that windmill farm is wanted in the first place.  We want to consume
> more electricity and therefore need more generating facilities.  We can only
> blame ourselves for this mess to begin with.  I guess as Americans we do
> have the right to do both, consume more and complain more.

	So the dams you mention are already producing constantly, despite being
intended as 'on-demand' facilities? Or are the folks wishing to build
the wind farm like many entrepreneurs, and are gambling that, regardless
of current supply, that they can generate power more cheaply than the
competition? 

> Wouldn't an even more useful discussion be on how to reduce our dependence
> on electricity and on other ways of producing it.  Again, no demand means no
> need to worry about present or future impact on the trail.
> 
> MEANT 2B
> GAME '97

	In some forums, perhaps. This particular mailing list, though, is
devoted to topics connected with the AT. New development near the trail
qualifies. A discussion of ways to change American culture so that such
development will not even be considered is pushing the envelope, in my
opinion.

	Ron

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yumitori(AT)montana(DOT)com