Wind power - Western district

Some one asked me about the place of wind power recently.

We western Victorians  have been using wind power ever since western settlement ( son counted 80 windmills between here and Geelong along the main road - 1hour drive; This is one of them .  ) Our town is the famous source of our own brand called" Bryan Mills " which have a hefty gearbox to "torque up" the huge lifts necessary in our steep country . Windmills are the most common means , even today, for supplying water to our dairy herds of about 200 cows.

As for the wind generated electricity - similiar story to solar - the idea is oversold and the big wind things are dumped in places where it suits business and crass political stupidity , but not always landscape . They don't work reliably early in the morning ( when they are needed ). Governments in Victoria are illadvised having cloned their own for too long  and alienated the competent by their own stupidity. Applies sadly to both sides of politics. 

Small windpower units in remote areas of the Otways have often been abandoned because power source is unreliable and  batteries cost too much ( seems same is true of many electric cars to date).

Appropriate technology is the way to view technology(ie positively),  but you  need wisdom and science , not political slogans and political ignorance and stupidity in conservation  to do that. Otherwise our grandchildren will have to pay dearly for all our grand gestures .Grand gestures that so often turn out to be grandstanding.