Wind Farms

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 10:22:53 GMT

People constantly refer to "unsightly" wind farms. The expected response is that they may be necessary. But simply saying "unsightly" bullies me into conceding the underlying premise, that they are ugly, and the choice is between beauty and necessity.

But now I question that. I certainly understand that if there's existing landscape which is really beautiful, you may not want large industrial changes. Especially if they're loud.

But are wind farms ugly? I think they're really pretty. I certainly think they're prettier than any other form of power generation I can think of. The best alternatives I can think of are some reservoirs. And I can imagine solar panels _could_ be pretty, but I've never really seen them used artistically.

If I had to dot the landscape with something, I think wind farms would be a good candidate. Big, graceful, elegant, white, like large benevolent tripods or triffids.

After all, deforestation, stone walls, hedgerows and windmills were all driven by necessity, not artistry, but now are seen as a quintessential part of the landscape. Even pylons, if never pretty, are commonly accepted.

The other question, is why was I embarrassed to say this? I think because "wind farms are ugly" is such a common part of the dialogue, but seemed so wrong to me, I assumed there must be something important I was missing, not that I might legitimately disagree.

comments

jack

Wind Farms