prairie air

I posted several wind farm images on flickr yesterday, and got an interesting comment from a Kansan who now lives in Texas. Sharlie Staab said:

"I don't know what to think of all the wind farms going up in Kansas. I think it ruins the landscape."

Frankly, I'm a little torn. I'd much rather see clean, green, design-pleasing wind turbines than nasty, poison-spitting, coal-fired power plants. Thank goodness Rod Bremby, secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, recently put the brakes on a new coal-fired plant in Southwest Kansas. Rod has been a friend of mine for years, and he's always championed common sense and doing the "right" thing even if it was a difficult challenge. Hopefully his decision will withstand a group of wacko Kansas Legislators and any court challenges.

Back to Sharlie's comment. No, I don't think wind farms "ruin" our wide-open landscapes. In some ways, I think the elegant, slow-spinning giants compliment the landscape. Certainly, we could reach a point where we have too many wind farms. If all Kansans (and Kansans at heart) take an active role in our energy policies and protecting our environment - I believe we'll find a common sense balance.

I made these photos at a wind farm near Beaumont, KS in the Fall of 2007. A new wind farm is going up in the Smoky Hills near Ellsworth, KS. In my opinion the Smoky Hills are every bit as stunning as the Flint Hills. The new turbines dot the skyline as you travel down I-70. I look forward to a photo adventure there in the Spring.