Today again I saw another CN train loaded with wind turbine parts heading west. There must be someplace nearby where they put the parts onto trucks for transport. I almost always see convoys with giant blades and tower pieces when I pass the rest stop on 127 near Ithica. The new windmills now go as far as you can see to the east and north of there. Up even further a new group of turbines is being put up just south of Coleman. It is difficult to overlook the industrialization of the pastoral landscape as there are now so many of them and they are so big but good to see them with the thought that they are providing clean energy and closing coal fire plants. I talked with one farmer who says he hates them they blink red lights into his windows and also make a noise he can hear at night. This is five miles north of St. Louis so yes that would be hard to get used to out there. I wonder how much the landowners make allowing them to put these things on their land and if they continue to be paid for the electricity produced? North of there the Amish community is growing taking over many old farms, their farms are beautiful to see with all the different animals and the wheat gathered in old fashion stacks in the fields. the other day I saw about sixty Amish men building a barn, none wearing masks. I hope no one gets sick.
I know I've mentioned it several times and I'll continue to say it every time the subject comes up, I think wind turbines suck as an energy source and they destroy the landscape, the problem will be multiplied when they're all left as rotting hulks for years and then crumbling foundations for many more. Same goes for solar when it's not integrated into the already built environment. Nuclear and solar (not solar farms though) are the near-term energy solutions. I hope we don't destroy massive swaths of wilderness for solar and wind farms before we regret it as much we did with coal.
I agree with your thoughts mainly, I guess no solution is perfect! I was thinking I have lived long enough to see the smoke-belching old smokestacks at Eckert replaced by the "three stacks", now they are obsolete and are now being phased out of use, I am hoping I live long enough to see the wind turbines become obsolete and witness the day they start taking them down. That will be a great day!
Last week when I came home from my cabin where I am off the grid, out of cell phone range, and always on a news blackout to hear that my younger brother was sick and the next day he passed away. I went back to the cabin to try to recover this week the colors were so beautiful, I returned to Lansing to hear the news of the plot to abduct and try Governor Whitmer take down the Mackinaw Bridge and send 200 armed men to take over our Capitol Building with bombs and automatic weapons. This is happening just down the street from my building in my hometown! It is happening in the place I used to wander around freely when I was a kid. I know these are not Lansing people and they were not very smart, what if there are smarter terrorist out there? it is hard not to feel overwhelmed and fearful. I have already voted I hope you all will do the same as soon as you can, it will make you feel better. One day soon things will be better if everyone votes. Thank you all for putting up with my posts here, it's the nicest place on the internet!
So sorry to hear about your brother gb, I second what MichMatters said. Thank you for all of your posts here, it really adds some nice character and backstory to the forum. My condolences.
I saw an interesting program on the youtube channel "B1M" about the "Wooden City" that is being constructed in a quarter of Helsinki Finland. They are building all kinds of different structures with engineered wood products. Like our building at MSU in the former power plant. They are even constructing nearly all wooden high rise buildings that are quite beautiful. I think Michigan is a lot like Finland in that we have a great renewable resource in our forested state and we could include more wood products in building plans. Also, all the mainly wooden buildings being built here make more sense to me after watching this program. Michigan even looks like Finland!
I saw an article about the renovation of a Masonic Temple in Downtown Kalamazoo on the M-live page. I think our Masonic Temple downtown would be a great place to turn into a hotel like in Kalamazoo. I hope our other Temple in Old Town turns our looking as nice as the Kalamazoo building.
There are many solutions for homelessness in general but when it comes down to individual people or cases like this it can be difficult to do the right thing for them and the neighborhood. One thing could be civilizing the camp into more of a "free economic refugee campground" with sanitary facilities for toilets and showers etc. It would be how we treat refugees in other countries why not here? I have never heard of this camp before, it seems to be out of sight and to have been there for some time so what is the big deal now I wonder? All people need a place to just be. If the camp needs to be cleared then I think the city should offer another better place to camp for these folks that don't want to go to a shelter. Whatever we do, I think we don't have to be cruel. A more innovative and charitable approach to this would be better than just saying, there are beds in the shelters go there!
Yes, it seems cold and heartless. It's out of touch with social distancing and the CDC's recommendations. The city wants them gone and to not be "their problem" anymore. Homelessness is a symptom of the larger inequalities in our system and poor access to care (education, safety, healthcare, financial, addiction, food, and more).
The article mentions that Eyde owns the land. I'm surprised Eyde is not being fined for not taking care of the property or paying to help clean it up. Seems the city is doing Eyde's dirty work. At this point, Eyde should donate the land to the city for a park and then they city can stop spending time, money, and resources on to help one of the riches land owners in the area.
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The article mentions that Eyde owns the land. I'm surprised Eyde is not being fined for not taking care of the property or paying to help clean it up. Seems the city is doing Eyde's dirty work. At this point, Eyde should donate the land to the city for a park and then they city can stop spending time, money, and resources on to help one of the riches land owners in the area.