Weather early 2009

[Martin Baxendale]

Nice photos, Anthony. We need more wind farms like that in the UK. Lots more. Maybe with the credit crunch and collapse of the financial systems the government will have to rethink its plans to rely almost entirely on a new generation of very expensive nuclear power stations and start putting some serious backing behind increased alternative energy sources like wind and wave power.

[Carol Shaw]

I totally support wave power but some of the big wind farms are a huge eye sore in our beautiful Scottish countryside... about time they put some down in England. They are also very noisy and not good for the bird life

[Martin Baxendale]

I totally support wave power but some of the big wind farms are a huge eye sore in our beautiful Scottish countryside... about time they put some down in England. They are also very noisy and not good for the bird life

We have some quite big windfarms down here but I agree we should have more rather than stick them all in Scotland. Of course you can also put them off the coast (though some people don't like that idea).

[ranunculus]

We have more than enough in Lancashire already thanks Carol.  They are now attracting more visitors than local beauty spots (see last image).

[johnw]

We have great potential for wind, wave and tidal power in Nova Scotia.  The Bay of Fundy has some of the highest tides in the world.  At the same time the Bay is a haven for birds, whales and marine life.  I often wonder how these powers can be harnessed without pureeing all the wildlife nearby.

johnw

[Martin Baxendale]

We have great potential for wind, wave and tidal power in Nova Scotia.  The Bay of Fundy has some of the highest tides in the world.  At the same time the Bay is a haven for birds, whales and marine life.  I often wonder how these powers can be harnessed without pureeing all the wildlife nearby.
johnw

We have the same quandry here with the Severn Estuary, which also has a huge tidal range (such that we get regular tidal surges that produce the famous Severn Bore, a wave that moves upstream fast enough to - just about - surf on).

A huge barrage across the entire estuary would play havoc with the local ecosystems for wildlife, especially wading birds (Slimbridge Wildfowl Trust is on the estuary) but alternative proposals are being put forward for a series of smaller bay-like barrages up the sides of the estuary where especially high tidal ranges occur. It's a balancing act, like the wind farms question.

[johnw]

Martin - A quandry it truly is.

They put a tidal dam on the Annapolis River back almost 30 years ago. The river flows through the richest farm land in the province.  A good portion of this land was created by the early Acadians who constructed by an elaborate system of dyking.  Now the banks of the river are collapsing, the soil is not being replenished or leached by frequent tidal overflows.  The latest trials are to begin shortly with smaller circular turbines being placed near the bay's shore. Hopefully these will be less catastrophic but one wonders.

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/92/Bay_of_Fundy_-_Tide_Out.jpg&imgrefurl=http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bay_of_Fundy_-_Tide_Out.jpg&usg=__NxJhdyaniGQV2x_K8U-ql481SnM=&h=1704&w=2272&sz=1097&hl=en&start=4&um=1&tbnid=_4FeMfXQFxpCeM:&tbnh=112&tbnw=150&prev=/images%3Fq%3DFundy%2Btides%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dsafari%26rls%3Den-us%26sa%3DN

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annapolis_Royal_Generating_Station

johnw

[Carol Shaw]

We have some quite big windfarms down here but I agree we should have more rather than stick them all in Scotland. Of course you can also put them off the coast (though some people don't like that idea).

They've started doing this very successfully up here and it really does make sense to me

[TC]

Wind farms are a contentious issue.   In Ayrshire, we are surrounded by them.  I doubt that they can ever contribute more than marginally to the nation's power requirements.  A side effect that has recently arisen is that they interfere with radar used in Air Traffic Control if placed in the wrong location.  Some ear-marked sites have had to be abandoned because of this.
 Wave power appears to be feasible, but does anyone know what will happen to the coast line if barriers are placed out at sea altering tidal flows?  On a selfish note, it's the next generation's problem.   I'm OK with nuclear power !!

[ichristie]

Winter has returned to Kirriemuir with 6 to 8 inches of snow very bad roads, a few pictures from the garden, cheers Ian the Christie kind.

[ranunculus]

Super images, Ian ... love the little white shrub in the final picture! 

[ichristie]

Hi Cliff, it is a Snowdrop   cheers Ian the Christie kind.

[ranunculus]

I get the drift, Ian ... !!       Could have been a mass of leucojums, I suppose?

[mark smyth]

I expect there will be many home done Christmas cards coming out of Scotland this year.

Today we have had sunshine all day. No need for heat in the car and believe or not I had the fresh air vents open

[Carol Shaw]

The only cards I send these days are e-cards... better for the environment and a lot cheaper