About two hours east of Portland along the Columbia River Gorge you can find several wind farms on both the Washington and Oregon sides of the river. Heading up the grade on Highway 97 towards Goldendale, Washington is a viewpoint area. For miles and miles (at least on a clear day) you can see the wind turbines with their blades rotating in the prevalent winds that blow through the gorge. It is impressive the number of wind turbines you see.
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| Wind Turbines - Goldendale, WA |
I have always been interested in wind turbines. The simplicity of their design against the various terrains they are placed in never cease to capture my attention.
The turbines are controversial to some people who claim they are contributing to global warming. Others feel they are a blight on the landscape. They do, however, create green power. Are they worth having in your backyard? Maybe they are, maybe they aren't.
"The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind" - Bob Dylan.
Sounds like a Lot more turbines have been put up since I lived around there. I like the green energy idea and even think they look rather sculptural yet have concerns for birds. Guess when you live in windy area this is what works.
ReplyDeleteSally? Did you used to be Chicken Ranch something? Saw your comment on Gaelyn's blog and hopped over.
ReplyDeleteIt used to be that wind turbines were death on migrating birds, but I understand (and hope) that they've figured out a speed now that doesn't kill them.