Looks like we are not the only ones doubtful...

[John Rumm]

[Tim Watts]

and thus the little boy did cry unto the Emperor: "He's got no clothes on!"

[Brian Gaff]

Well, one thing is certainly true, we do not control the wind so if its not going to blow, wyou get nothing. also we are in fact pulling power from the wind, which one assumes changes the speed of it, nobody knows the long term effects of doing it. Then there is the problems of keeping them going of course.

Brian

[charles]

I think that research in Germany has found micro-climate changes in the lee of these turbines.

[Newshound]

>>>

Conflicts with government policy?

Unless it's a cunning plan. Anything the daft old bugger complains about must be OK :-)

[The Natural Philosopher]

even a completely out of touch tosser like harry,dennis@home or the Duke of Edinburgh gets it randomly right once in a lifetime.

Today its the Dukes turn...

[dom]

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[David WE Roberts]

You mean the ones who feeel free to speak out because they have no financial or political interest in the large multi-nationals? Off with their heads! I trust David Cameron, me.

[Tim Lamb]

Just a bloke with an opinion the press think newsworthy on a Sunday.

regards

[The Natural Philosopher]

they have almost zero influence on anything actually.

[Tim Streater]

Well done for avoiding the issue at hand. I like the bit about "proponents say you can develop pumped storage schemes". That's pretty funny.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Cameron is simply carrying on where the last administration left off, as regards wind power. Strange he's not investigated the pros and cons - given the dire need to save expenditure. Or at least spend wisely.

[The Natural Philosopher]

You can develop breasts if you are a woman too.

Or eat too much oestrogen.

You can fly using nothing more than your muscles! I have flown almost 6 feet once.

You can pray to Jesus and summon demons. Neither has any effect of course.

Meanwhile its the consumers who have to carry the 'can' ;-)

[Old Codger]

Oh dear! You do realise he is a politician don't you. In fact he is even worse than that because he is "the heir to Blair".

[R D S]

They are welcome to shove a few in the path of my house then, save a number of slates blowing off the roof each year.

[The Natural Philosopher]

Too much money in green falsehoods.

[Weatherlawyer]

A politician is not in the business of doing anything wisely, and spending is part of the job.

What exactly has the Duke, his HRHness, ever said that was erroneous?

I've always thought him to be well advised and candid. Or is this a mass medium lie:

"wind turbines ... are estimated to reap =A3500million a year in subsidies"

If they were any good they wouldn't need to be subsidised. But is this a fair comment coming as it does from a journalist?

And how much subsidy is there in Nuclear alternatives? I know which I'd prefer to have nationalised and the other not foreign nationalised.

The trouble with nationalised industry is bureaucracy and management and the trouble with free trade is bean counters for management.

Until the day comes that Tesco et al is not allowed to throw food away by the thousands of tons and we are willing to wear two sweaters instead of one tee-shirt, things are not going to change at all.

[Andy Champ]

Instead you'll get occasional chunks of ice flung off the blades breaking tiles.

That aside I'll be amazed if you can get reproducibly measurable climatic effect from them. Certainly less than from a coal station (CO2, steam plumes or hot sea) Nuclear (not CO2, but the others) or hydro (darn great wet area).

Andy

[Gib Bogle]

Is that the royal "we"?

[Old Codger]

Nothing that I know of but he probably has, just not often.

He is certainly candid. He frequently reflects almost exactly what the average "man in the street" thinks and usually appears to be right. How much is down to advice and how much to the Duke himself I wouldn't know but he does appear to be a somewhat obstinate old bugger so I doubt he would take advice that he did not agree with.

All windmills built in the last two to three years are eligible for the same subsidies as solar cells so it probably is fair comment.

Considerable, due to the de-commissioning problems. However are a proven technology, they do provide a highly reliable and efficient base load and they do not produce any "climate changing" gases.