Amazon’s largest wind farm yet is up and running in Texas

[Theinquisition]

https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/a...181800415.html

Business

Amazon’s largest wind farm yet is up and running in Texas

Engadget Swapna Krishna,Engadget Thu, Oct 19 11:18 AM MST .

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Greenpeace slammed Amazon earlier this week for its environmental practices -- namely, the fact that it doesn't disclose much about its energy use or materials. But today, the company announced that its largest wind farm yet is up and running. The Amazon Wind Farm Texas, located in Scurry County, Texas, includes over 100 turbines and will generate enough clean energy to power more than 330,000 homes.

This isn't Amazon's first foray into clean energy. The Amazon Wind Farm Texas is among 18 others across the US, and the online retailer has another 35 in planning stages. Not only are they offsetting their carbon footprint, at least somewhat, but they're providing more jobs and contributing to local economies. Kara Hurst, Amazon's Worldwide Director of Sustainability, cites a company-wide goal of eventually powering their infrastructure using solely renewable energy.

It's not clear whether this specific press release is a response to Greenpeace's actions, but Amazon is clearly interested in garnering as much good will as possible, and they're going about it in a great way. People can feel however they want about the company, but it's hard to argue with a project like this. The wind farms also make clear that the retail giant is interested in many more endeavors than solely selling you more stuff than you need and delivering it within two days.

Edit: Amazon reached out to clarify that "the 330,000 number refers to the number of homes that all of our renewable energy projects that are in existence and planned will generate in one year," rather than to one wind farm.

Good for amazon, glad to see more private companies investing in energy technology.

[Rastlin]

What a waste of money and landscape. Potentially doing more environment damage than it actually takes out due to being "green".

[Kujako]

What a waste of money and landscape. Potentially doing more environment damage than it actually takes out due to being "green".

Got environmental studies to backup your assertion?

[cubby]

What a waste of money and landscape. Potentially doing more environment damage than it actually takes out due to being "green".

Couldn't agree more. All that renewable energy and planet saving crap - fuck 'em all. Kill the planet and keep giving those tax subsidies to the oil companies.

/s

Wake up - wind farms are happening. The fact that you disagree with something Amazon is succeeding at just adds to your lack of ethos.

[Frolk]

What a waste of money and landscape. Potentially doing more environment damage than it actually takes out due to being "green".

[Theinquisition]

Well to keep the argument honest, there are valid concerns about wind generated power.

1. Lots of birds being killed
2. lots of infrastructure has to be built to service the generators
3. Lots of mining for rare earth metals to create the magnets used in the generators.

[Independent voter]

What a waste of money and landscape. Potentially doing more environment damage than it actually takes out due to being "green".

The cattle don't mind.

[Crissi]

Well to keep the argument honest, there are valid concerns about wind generated power.

1. Lots of birds being killed
2. lots of infrastructure has to be built to service the generators
3. Lots of mining for rare earth metals to create the magnets used in the generators.

Every type of energy has a downside. Wind has less of that than oil and coal.

Also, a lot of Texas is just open land anyways. So "Its uuuuugly" is not valid (also, subjective)

Also, building the infrastructure provides jobs!

[Theinquisition]

Every type of energy has a downside. Wind has less of that than oil and coal.

Also, a lot of Texas is just open land anyways. So "Its uuuuugly" is not valid (also, subjective)

Also, building the infrastructure provides jobs!

I wasn't saying it's a bad thing at all.

[Demona3]

We recently took a trip to South Padre Island and passed one of these wind farms. I have to say, I didn't mind seeing them and honestly, watching them rotate in the wind was rather calming.

[Ozyorkbourne]

Well to keep the argument honest, there are valid concerns about wind generated power.

1. Lots of birds being killed
2. lots of infrastructure has to be built to service the generators
3. Lots of mining for rare earth metals to create the magnets used in the generators.

1. Fuck birds
2. The infrastrucutre has to be built once and maintained - far easier than more practical than alternatives.
3. Mining is already going on for rare metals. You know your phone? The components were likely mined in Africa by a malnourished 12 year old. But Apple ect claim it isn't from shit conditions because they buy from 3rd parties who buy from these mine owners. This isn't a 'green energy' problem. This is a 'humans are cunts' problem.

So many people seem to lose their shit about wind/renewable energy (Not you, you didn't. Some people do though) because what if human induced/impacted climate change isn't a thing. Well, if it's not and 99% of all climate science is wrong, then we still breathe in less carbon in the air reducing the literal millions of deaths worldwide due to pollution. Besides, many wind farms are at sea off coast lines now due to the amount of wind they get due to exposure.



9 million pollution related deaths/year: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-41678533

[Stormspellz]

What a waste of money and landscape. Potentially doing more environment damage than it actually takes out due to being "green".

Using up all the planets wind! whats next? more solar panels drain the sun!!! what a waste!

[Belize]

Got environmental studies to backup your assertion?

Its stealing the wind.

Without wind, the planet gets hotter. Therefore, wind farms are a direct cause to Global Warming, which is fake btw.

[Deleted]

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[Rustedsaint]

Well to keep the argument honest, there are valid concerns about wind generated power.

1. Lots of birds being killed
2. lots of infrastructure has to be built to service the generators
3. Lots of mining for rare earth metals to create the magnets used in the generators.

1.lots of animals die for everything we do and things we don’t do so this is non factor
2.compared to other types of generators, these aren’t that big of a difference
3. We be mining rare earth metals for every other generator,(besides most solar)

[Schattenlied]

problem is the argument against nuclear is just as illogical as the one against wind farms in this image... Nuclear reactors won't do that, especially not modern ones. Oil and Coal for powerplants? Yeah, I agree bad, but Nuclear is the one thing we should be using a whole lot more of, especially with how abundant, and otherwise useless Thorium is.

[Masark]

3. We be mining rare earth metals for every other generator,(besides most solar)

No. Most utility-scale generators/alternators use electromagnets rather than permanent magnets. The exception is units (frequently hydro) designated to provide power to start up a black grid.

problem is the argument against nuclear is just as illogical as the one against wind farms in this image... Nuclear reactors won't do that, especially not modern ones.

Nuclear reactors don't, but the steam systems that are used to get electricity from the reactors will do so if abused sufficiently, which is what happened at Chernobyl.

Same argument is also applicable to coal, which operates the same way, though those units are also typically smaller and with less explosive potential.

[breadisfunny]

problem is the argument against nuclear is just as illogical as the one against wind farms in this image... Nuclear reactors won't do that, especially not modern ones. Oil and Coal for powerplants? Yeah, I agree bad, but Nuclear is the one thing we should be using a whole lot more of, especially with how abundant, and otherwise useless Thorium is.

and they said the titanic was unsinkable too.

[Schattenlied]

and they said the titanic was unsinkable too.

it ain't 1912 anymore buddy, and there's plenty of research to back nuclear power being safe, especially Thorium MSRs, 5 seconds on google will show you that.

[Kaleredar]

Well to keep the argument honest, there are valid concerns about wind generated power.

1. Lots of birds being killed

I'd wager far more animals are being negatively affected by fossil fuel pollution and climate change than birds accidentally running into windmills.

2. lots of infrastructure has to be built to service the generators

3. Lots of mining for rare earth metals to create the magnets used in the generators.

Both of these points are true for any other kind of generator you'd build.

- - - Updated - - -

Nuclear reactors don't, but the steam systems that are used to get electricity from the reactors will do so if abused sufficiently, which is what happened at Chernobyl.

Same argument is also applicable to coal, which operates the same way, though those units are also typically smaller and with less explosive potential.

Sure, but coal doesn't generate radioactive fallout if something goes wrong.

Though honestly some sort of disaster is a minor worry about nuclear; the far more troubling issue is disposing of the nuclear waste generated. Not only do you have to find adequate room to keep jamming stuff deep below the earth, you need to maintain those facilities from now into perpetuity.