"Help The Planet, Save Money & Brag About It"

The most common objection I hear to this otherwise clean and unobtrusive power source is that it spoils the natural beauty of the area. I personally feel otherwise, thinking that an area that is as environmentally conscious as to support wind turbines is a beautiful area indeed.

Where I lived in Wales there were a lot of turbines, just out of town. The locals didn’t seem to mind on the whole, though some spoke out. But here in America LOTS of people seem VERY vocal when it comes to this. Why? I think they are really kind of cute.

How do we overcome this kind of problem and move into more Earth friendly power sources?

Personaly I think that the best place for wind turbines in along the cost lines. The wind is stong and constant and if you put them about a mile out, barely anyone will every even see them.

To answer your questions, ask the people which is worse:
acid rain and smoggy skies or a few wind turbines peppering the horizon.

I also think that the virtues of turbines vastly out weigh the aesthetic issues,without huge improvements in fuel and waste issues the beautiful scenery being complaned about is not goint to exist for too much longer. As Adam has said careful siting would reduce the visual impact, and if properly planned would balance out any extra costs caused by increased cabling costs

apologies double post

I say we show them photos of typical coal and nuclear power plants.  Those aren’t exactly aesthetically pleasing, either.

lol yep, I think that would do it…

Hehe yeah, a few harmless looking white fans or a couple of large cooling towers and a few concrete block buildings surrounded by miles of wire fencing? I know which I’d take…

I think those who live in cities with the constant reminder of pollution are less objective to wind turbines. It is more those in rural areas who have had the benefit of (relatively) clean air who don’t like the idea of wind turbines - They don’t really see the need for themselves.

Stick them in one of the busiest city’s in the world for a few days and they might start to see why renewable energy sources like wind turbines are in fact essential.

I would have no problem with turbines being built in my area. I don’t find them ugly, in comparison to “solutions”. I think that the best place for them would be along the coast, as another poster said, because there is a lot of wind to benefit the turbines.