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If you look at a map of south east England you will see that the area from the Essex coast to the North Kent coast is a relatively small wedge shaped area of sea largely shallow estuary.
This area is fast being filled with those modern towers harnassing the power of the wind and producing 'green' energy. This is the small 30 turbine farm just off the coast between Whitstable and Herne Bay.
The rest of the estuary is being filled with two more much larger farms. The Thanet farm off Margate with 100 turbines; and the London Array between Clacton and Thanet that will have 341 turbines. It has been reported that during the very cold period before Christmas last year, those turbines already working only produced about 30% of capacity because there was little wind........a thought for the future as more of these towers appear around our coast and across the countryside.
The other tower that I want to introduce to you are the twin towers of Reculver Fort that overlooks all these turbines being installed.
Here is a view of the towers from the East.
You may remember the film 'The Dam Busters'. The trials of the 'bouncing bomb' was filmed right here and the towers could be seen in the film. Barnes Wallaces original bombs were also tested here so the film was authentic.
Here is another view from the land side.
Reculver Towers and Roman Fort consists of the remains of a Roman 'Saxon Shore Fort' and a church founded as part of a Saxon Monastery within the remains of the fort in the 7th century. Twin towers added to the church in the 12th century dominate the site today. They have provided a landmark for shipping over hundreds of years. The site is managed by English Heritage.
This is the blocked up West Door, the fabric of which has been damaged over recent years when it has been used as a climbing wall.
Finally, looking back from the beach many families cycle from the towers to the beaches at Thanet with a pic-nic, then cycle back to their cars. This small family group caught my eye and I turned it into a hard black and white silhouette which I think gives it some impact........
Way cool photos Grandad. I agree the black and white silhouette has quite an impact. Makes a statement and 'is' a story.
I didn't realize that many wind towers were being built off the coast. Quite a few people in this area are promoting wind and other forms of 'green' energy but nobody has of yet to my knowledge built anything out onto the water. Many of the farmers in the middle USA are renting/leasing their land to Companies who are installing wind towers. There is another group here who are opposing the installation of wind turbines saying they destroy the view!!!
I've often wondered why the power of the tides hasn't been harnessed however am sure given out impending world energy crisis lots of different ways to keep the lights on and TVs going are being explored.
Love the 'Twin Towers" too Grandad. Can't believe people using the face as a rock climbing wall..........on the other hand........yeah I can believe it. GREAT PHOTOS as always!!!!
Thanks for your comments LLL and I am glad you have picked up on the wind turbines. I was intending to raise them as a topic but as we visited the towers this morning it seemed appropriate to talk about both.
We have an increasing level of wind farms at sea and I have no problem with those. I really do question the efficiency of those very expensive turbines particularly as they are totally dependent on wind. We have many land based farms and as the UK is very small compared to the US, and do not have the vast open spaces, we have an increasing 'anti' lobby because those unfortunate people living fairly nearby are having their lives seriously disturbed by the noise.
I agree about tidal generation. As long as there is a moon in the sky we will have tidal waters, guaranteed, So I am sure that is where more research should be directed. I believe there is already tidal power generation in Kiyas area, or maybe it is just a development project.
To be honest I am a confirmed believer in nuclear power generation for the future. All other methods are far less cost effective.
Great pics Grandad and have to agree about the abhorrent wind farms......I am in agreement with sir James lovelock on this, he believes the actions by the Government have been reminiscent of something out of the comic science fiction novel The Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy. (about the way they ave introduced wind farms)
Dr Lovelock, 91, who in 2002 was made a Companion of Honour by the Queen for his research, believes nuclear power is the only form of energy that will not contribute to global warming and could supply enough power for the planet.
t was over 40 years ago that Dr Lovelock, a Fellow of the Royal Society, first put forward his Gaia theory, and he has become a respected authority on the subject
The research scientist coined the term Gaia, from the ancient Greek earth mother goddess, while out walking with Lord of the Flies author William Golding, his former neighbour in Wiltshire.
“Gaia” is Dr. Lovelock’s belief that earth is a living, evolving organism, not just a hunk of rock we all live upon. Through his book, Lovelock refers to Gaia, when he is discussing our third planet from the sun. His book is a MUST read for anyone who is following the renaissance in nuclear energy.
According to the Royal Society of Engineers 2004 report, onshore European wind energy is 2.5 times, and offshore wind energy over 3 times, more expensive per kilowatt hour than gas or nuclear energy.
Denmark, which pioneered wind farms, is regretting the decision. Niels Gram of the Danish Federation of Industries said, “In green terms windmills are a mistake and economically make no sense… Many of us thought wind was the 100-percent solution for the future, but we were wrong. In fact, taking all energy needs into account it is only a 3 percent solution.”
Dr. Lovelock writes, “To supply the UK’s present electricity needs would require 276,000 wind generators, about three per square mile, if national parks, urban, suburban and industrial areas are excluded… at best, energy is available from wind turbines only 25 percent of the time.
Surely, solar power must be the answer, right? Wrong! Dr. Lovelock writes, “Solar cells are not yet suitable for supplying electricity directly to homes or workplaces, mostly because, despite over thirty years of development, they are quite expensive to make. At the Centre for Alternative Technology in Wales there is an experimental house with a roof made almost entirely of silicon photocells. In summer it provides about three kilowatts of electricity, but the cost of installation was comparable with the house itself, and the expected life of the cells is about ten years. Sunlight, like wind, is intermittent and would, without efficient storage, be an inconvenient energy source at these latitudes.”
Dr. James Lovelock’s Conclusion on Nuclear Energy.
How does James Lovelock feel about nuclear energy? “I believe nuclear power is the only source of energy that will satisfy our demands and yet not be a hazard to Gaia and interfere with its capacity to sustain a comfortable climate and atmospheric composition. This is mainly because nuclear reactions are millions of times more energetic than chemical reactions. The most energy available from a chemical reaction, such as burning carbon in oxygen, is about nine kilowatt hours per kilogram. The nuclear fusion of hydrogen atoms to form helium gives several million times as much, and the energy from splitting uranium is greater still.”
How does Dr. Lovelock respond to the question of nuclear waste? He writes, “I have offered in public to accept all the high-level waste produced in a year from a nuclear power station for deposit on my small plot of land; it would occupy a space about a cubic metre in size and fit safely in a concrete pit, and I would use the heat from its decaying radioactive elements to heat my home. It would be a waste not to use it. More important, it would be no danger to me, my family or the wildlife.”
Through his book, Lovelock reminds us that nuclear power is the single answer for this century, “We need emission-free energy sources immediately, and there is no serious contender to nuclear fission.”
Dr. Lovelock does not simply endorse nuclear, as an idle thought. He is passionate about nuclear energy as a life-saving measure, “My strong pleas for nuclear energy come from a growing sense that we have little time left in which to install a reliable and secure supply of electricity…. The important and overriding consideration is time; we have nuclear power now, and new nuclear building should be started immediately. All of the alternatives, including fusion energy, require decades of development before they can be employed on a scale that would significantly reduce emissions.”
Great book.....................
"If you understand, things are just as they are, if you do not understand things are just as they are"
Nice article and pictures Grandad and very topical
I am with the majority on this Wind Farm debacle, if they really worked then OK the detriment that they cause to the environment may be somewhat acceptable, but they don't. It is like the other waste of time Solar Panels, the only winners will be the more affluent who can invest £10,000 to £15,000 on installing them, not that they are efficient, on the contrary, it is only because of the supplement they attract and paid out of our energy bills that makes them attractive to investors. I am all for conservation and protecting the planet, but while we contribute around 2% of global pollution and countries such as China and India continue their dash for growth, the phrase, urinating in the wind comes to mind.
We as a country will make absolutely no impact on global warming or pollution in general, so why do we keep beating ourselves with a big stick? We are just playing at being green and it is costing us dear and ruining our economy, the only way forward is safe, clean and sustainable nuclear power and stop our reliance on imported oil and gas.
I like to 'go green' whenever I can but am by no stretch an expert at it nor do I really know much about it. I like the idea of having 'clean' enery vs like in the old days of burning coal.
I think nuclear IS the only true possibility for providing for the needs of the world but given the recent experiences in Japan I think lots more further safeguards are needed and studies so that it can be made and disposed of appropriately.
Don't have answers myself will take a much higher and smarter mind than mind.
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