Yesterday I was talking with my Advanced Physics class about electricity generation. We talked about windmills and I brought up how Massachusetts is battling putting them in. All of these students were flabbergasted. They think the windmills are not a blight on the landscape - they think they look cool! One said that maybe people ought to be asking their generation what they think since they are the ones who will be living with all of it longer than us. They understand that petroleum supplies are limited and interestingly, they think they will probably see it run out in their lifetime. They say we NEED to get going on alternatives and they were also very interested in solar power (being in Oregon, we get a lot of gray winter and spring days). I just find it interesting that nobody seems to have really asked what their generation thinks about it all.
Julie Hilsenteger
Physics Teacher
Centennial High School
3505 SE 182nd Ave
Gresham, OR 97030
503-762-6180 X5573
-----Original Message-----
From: phys-l-bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu [mailto:phys-l-bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu] On Behalf Of Shapiro, Mark
Sent: Wednesday, April 15, 2009 7:49 AM
To: Forum for Physics Educators; Richard Tarara
Subject: Re: [Phys-l] SOLAR , NUCLEAR ENERGY etc.
I'd sure rather have some windmills in my neighborhood than another coal-fired power plant.
Mark
________________________________________
From: phys-l-bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu [phys-l-bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu] On Behalf Of LaMontagne, Bob [RLAMONT@providence.edu]
Sent: Wednesday, April 15, 2009 6:55 AM
To: Forum for Physics Educators; Richard Tarara
Subject: Re: [Phys-l] SOLAR , NUCLEAR ENERGY etc.
Another story on those annoying windmills that will soon cover the landscape from horizon to horizon.
GULLIVERS COVE, Nova Scotia - A Canadian emu farmer in
northwestern Nova Scotia said he is concerned a proposed
windmill nearby will kill his birds or trigger his
epileptic seizures. Davey and Debi VanTassel run the
Ocean Breeze Emu Farm in Gullivers Cove, and told The
Chronicle-Herald newspaper in Halifax one of 20 proposed
wind turbines will be about a half mile from their
property. The couple said emus have been known to die from
noise and vibration. They said a test mill erected last
year in the county drove coyotes from the area to their
farm, where five emus were killed this winter. Debi
VanTassel told a recent community meeting she feared for
her husband's health, as the flickering of sunlight through
the windmill's blades could trigger epileptic seizures.
She said they avoid dances where strobe lights are used
and they have no wallpaper in their home, as patterns can
trigger a seizure, the report said. Their town is consider-
ing a proposal to erect 20 turbine towers with an output
of 30 megawatts, the newspaper said.