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Will Wind Power Change Earth's Climate?

lommer writes "The Globe and Mail is currently running an article on a recent wind power study. A group of Canadian and American scientists has modelled the effects of introducing massive amounts of wind farms into North America and have come up with surprising results. While still having only 1/5th the impact of fossil fuels, wind power will still adjust the earth's climate with the equatorial regions warmed while the arctic grows colder. Could this be a boon for the nuclear lobby, or is this just further evidence for a diversified power-generating system?"

17 of 883 comments (clear)

  1. Finally! by LinuxRulz · · Score: 3, Funny

    Wow! so we can affect temperature by building wind farms.
    Just hope they will build a lot of these north of my town so we can stop that freezing north wind.

  2. This blows by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    So does this mean the United States is going to start invading windy countries?

    1. Re:This blows by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      Shhhh... Liberating, you mean LIBERATING windy countries.

  3. Re:Newton's laws can't be repealed by bleakcabal · · Score: 5, Funny

    Don't listen to him ! It's just this kind of thinking which is keeping people from investing in my perpetual motion machine !

  4. For the environment, everybody go, and... by Spoing · · Score: 4, Funny
    ...kill yourself.

    Be quick about it, OK? OH, and when you kill yourself, do it in a forest by yourself so that you can be converted into plant material with the minimum of impact.

    We can't get all of that last fifth of the 5 fifths -- though you worthless schmuck should do your part ASAP and stop ruining the environment with each extra breath or moment that you block the wind.

    Thanks!

    --
    A firewall can not protect you from yourself. Turn off what you do not need. Do not use the firewall to do your work.
  5. hmmm... by mangnato89 · · Score: 4, Funny

    would it help if they make the turbines spin the other way?

  6. Re:Having stood next to one of these things by g-san · · Score: 4, Funny

    Quite an amazing piece of gear; if you ever get the chance to get up close to one, take it.

    take it? and where the heck am I gonna go with a big noisy windmill sticking out of my pocket?

  7. Energy.... by vwjeff · · Score: 4, Funny

    1. Walk to Taco Bell.
    2. Buy 2 bean burritos.
    3. Walk home.
    4. Wait 8-16 hours.
    5. Energy in the form of gas.
    6. Sell gas to power company.

    Repeat steps 1-6.

    1. Re:Energy.... by dcmeserve · · Score: 4, Funny
      1. Walk to Taco Bell.
      2. Buy 2 bean burritos.
      3. Walk home.
      4. Wait 8-16 hours.
      5. Energy in the form of gas.
      6. Sell gas to power company.

      7. Taco Bell uses the energy to cook 2 bean burritos.
      8. Go to step 2.

      Ahh... the Circle of Life.

      --
      "Orthodoxy is unconsciousness" - Orwell
  8. Re:Probably not gonna be significant... by el-spectre · · Score: 5, Funny

    I'm sorry Mr. Newton, but in THIS universe we have friction...

    --
    "Faith: Belief without evidence in what is told by one who speaks without knowledge, of things without parallel." - A.B.
  9. Re:Newton's laws can't be repealed by jusdisgi · · Score: 3, Funny

    Wow. You're a bright one. Bright like that energy-creating sun of ours.

    Cluelessness concerning the laws of thermodynamics is grounds for revokation of your /. membership.

    --
    Given a choice between free speech and free beer, most people will take the beer.
  10. Re:Nucular by jebiester · · Score: 3, Funny

    Nucular?? Is that you, George?

  11. Re:Newton's laws can't be repealed by zCyl · · Score: 4, Funny

    But would not the availability of free energy eventually cause people to use huge amounts of energy? Sooner or later we would have the new problem of efficiently radiating all that extra heat (the energy would turn into heat sooner or later) off this planet.

    Ah, that's easy. Giant fusion powered air conditioning units.

    </humor>

  12. What to do with it. by uberdave · · Score: 3, Funny

    NO, silly! You attach it to the handlebars of your bicycle.

  13. Re:No, even fusion isn't FREE by toddestan · · Score: 4, Funny

    The problem with "free" is that there is no free lunch. The problem with Thermonuclear fusion is that it is producing HEAT. Even used to produce electricity, the end result (at my computer or light bulb or whatever) is HEAT.

    That HEAT changes the environment, because it is a net addition of energy. The earth must dissipate that energy (presumably the atmosphere losing heat into space) or the environment will still be changing.


    Hmm... maybe we could use wind turbines to remove some of this energy from the air?

  14. Re:Somewhat Offtopic: Nuclear Reactors by dbIII · · Score: 3, Funny
    My question is, why not pulverize said nuclear waste and pump it into the atmosphere?
    The Russians did that a few years ago, but the neighbours complained.
  15. Re:Wouldn't that be a good thing? by Tablizer · · Score: 3, Funny

    ...Global Warming, the arctic getting warmer is a problem. According to the article these non-polluting wind farms would make the arctic colder...Bonus!

    You sound like an environmentalist, but you are only trying to protect Linux mascots' habitat. Admit it.