Geez, the article would have you believe that these things are going to take over everything. I've had to deal with fire ants for my entire life (they everywhere here in Texas -- hell, I think there are some running around on my carpet right now).
While they are annoying and impossible to get rid of, nobody should really fear them. The only way they will cause death is after something has been swarmed and stung by *1000's* of them, usually after falling on top of the large mounds they create. It's really more of an annoyance to get stung than anything.
I think it is prudent for Australia to stop them from spreading before it's too late (which all efforts here have shown to be damned near impossible), but really people, there is no reason to panic over the situation (as the article may make you believe.)
BTW, don't let my previous comment disparage you if you feel like you would want a wind turbine. I was mostly speaking from a commercial standpoint, as that is where my knowledge on the subject lies.
True, it is cheaper than solar. Unfortunately, the ROI (return on investment) is still not great enough for most people to justify the investment. The wind resource has to be at least a steady 7 m/s for the turbine to be efficient from an economical standpoint, and most sites don't meet this criteria. Of course, the info that I have is for commercial wind turbines -- ones that generate energy for electricity companies who want to make sure they aren't losing money on the deal. Those numbers might not be accurate for smaller turbines like these.
For now, just as in solar power, it remains a good option for those who want to do their part to keep the environment clean. However, for most people (read: those who just want to save some money on their electricity bill), it's just not a viable option.
Nope, not true. I work for a wind power company. We put up large commercial wind ranches in the southwest -- ones with large turbines, and they are very quiet. Older turbines were noisy, but new designs have mostly corrected that. I can't imagine that these turbines would be very large, so it is highly doubtful that they will generate enough noise to bother anyone near them.
Slashdot Mirror
I though KazAa was decentralized like Gnutella...
Too bad I don't still live in the dorms. I'd get so much pr0n downloaded, er, I mean, so much work done with a connection like that.
--Gaz
Is that Debian in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?
Geez, the article would have you believe that these things are going to take over everything. I've had to deal with fire ants for my entire life (they everywhere here in Texas -- hell, I think there are some running around on my carpet right now).
While they are annoying and impossible to get rid of, nobody should really fear them. The only way they will cause death is after something has been swarmed and stung by *1000's* of them, usually after falling on top of the large mounds they create. It's really more of an annoyance to get stung than anything.
I think it is prudent for Australia to stop them from spreading before it's too late (which all efforts here have shown to be damned near impossible), but really people, there is no reason to panic over the situation (as the article may make you believe.)
Did they take out a copyright on 911?
Well, actually the page says they did. Try it for yourself...
Heh, should have looked before I posted the first time. This might be helpful to you:
http://www.awea.org/faq/smsyslst.html
BTW, don't let my previous comment disparage you if you feel like you would want a wind turbine. I was mostly speaking from a commercial standpoint, as that is where my knowledge on the subject lies.
Take a look at this:
http://www.awea.org/faq/noisefaq.html
AWEA stands for American Wind Energy Association -- I'd say they are a trusted source, and a good source of any other wind energy information as well.
True, it is cheaper than solar. Unfortunately, the ROI (return on investment) is still not great enough for most people to justify the investment. The wind resource has to be at least a steady 7 m/s for the turbine to be efficient from an economical standpoint, and most sites don't meet this criteria. Of course, the info that I have is for commercial wind turbines -- ones that generate energy for electricity companies who want to make sure they aren't losing money on the deal. Those numbers might not be accurate for smaller turbines like these.
For now, just as in solar power, it remains a good option for those who want to do their part to keep the environment clean. However, for most people (read: those who just want to save some money on their electricity bill), it's just not a viable option.
Nope, not true. I work for a wind power company. We put up large commercial wind ranches in the southwest -- ones with large turbines, and they are very quiet. Older turbines were noisy, but new designs have mostly corrected that. I can't imagine that these turbines would be very large, so it is highly doubtful that they will generate enough noise to bother anyone near them.