To find huge off shore wind turbines unsettling?

[BlackOrangeFrog]

So, I'm all for the wind power etc don't get me wrong. And I don't mind them "interrupting" the view.

It's the sheer size of them.

Currently sitting on a beach in Norfolk, looking out to see, the wind turbines look closes but are actually 2 miles away. It's because of the sea distorting distance. But also, mainly they so freaking MASSIVE.

Its all a bit freaky and they creep me out a bit.

Same with any big engineering tbh

I think they are majestic. I love seeing them spin, looking at them and thinking about all the clean energy they are making from a natural force. So simple, yet pretty amazing.
So much better than fossil fuel powered plants, or nuclear.

I suggest you take a drive around Merthyr and the valleys and look at the slag heaps and see if you feel the alternative is less creepy.

As far as I’m aware no one has ever been killed by wind turbines falling over or collapsing, which is certainly not true of the coal industry.

Oh no 😢 that's awful

@Singleandproud
@Laiste

I think this is it:

Wind turbine fire in North Sea self extinguishes www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-norfolk-66510193

Have you ever seen the nasa building in Florida? And the size of the rocket boosters? Mind boggling. I also love big church bells!

I remember The Tripods programme. I loved it. 😀

They give me the creeps
I've just learnt that I have megalophobia too!

Looks like some kind of mental health issue.
I remember having watched a documentary about phobias and this woman would get extremely distressed when being closed to a big isolated building, like a windmill.
I would make an appointment with a psychologist as soon as possible.

🙄

I felt a bit odd when we went to see the Kelpies on the Scottish border. They are freaky , especially as you can see the heads from the motorway.
Wind turbines don't bother me as much , but I do get the uneasiness at seeing such big ( man made ) objects.

I agree I think they are very lovely looking and call them windmills.

@PumpkinSpiceMuffins just a reminder that Facebook and YouTube are NOT scientific research.

Something giving one the heebie jeebies is a mental health issue? Mkay

Without going into too many details as 2 men lost their lives, there is a self rescue option on all turbines, rescue kits, hook on points etc. it’s a legal minimum requirement:

in some cases in the past technicians have taken their harnesses off as they are heavy and can be awkward. If you don’t have a harness on then you cannot self evacuate unfortunately

Ooooh, yes, that one isn't great either

This is a fascinating thread and I’m glad I stumbled on it!

I love them and think they are beautiful but this thread has definitely given me some food for thought: I definitely hadn’t really considered their scale (like a PP said, they look smaller when they are far away. I feel like Father Dougal in that Father Ted sketch!) and I hadn’t much considered their impact on wildlife, just that green energy must be good.

Without sounding all ‘screaming in the Sistine Chapel’, I think I might be a meglophile, as I find these big man-made structures strangely moving and I don’t know why.

@the80sweregreat

The Kelpies are in Falkirk in Central Scotland; nowhere near the Borders!

If they impacted me with a noise disturbance, I wouldn't be such a fan. And if they are not friendly to the environment, I'd equally be anti.

I'm a big fan.

I’ve been on a boat trip to see them and they are fecking gigantic up close. I find them a bit eerie.

I'm OK with wind turbines at a distance but pylons and high bridges freak me out. A PP mentioned the QEII bridge upthread, I hate crossing that, not least because of the 2 huge fuck off pylons beside it at either end.

Looking at wind turbines would freak me out far less than if I were looking at a nuclear power station.

To the people freaked out about the turbines reaching the bottom of the sea:

They only really do that in shallow water. The ones in deeper water float

Those poor young men, they were only 19 and 21.

A father of 4 sadly died in Texas earlier this year.
https://www.insideedition.com/father-of-4-falls-to-death-in-tragic-incident-at-texas-wind-turbine-87156

Apparently fires in wind turbines are not that uncommon and fire crews often don't have the right equipment to tackle them. Turbine fires are not just a danger to workers, they've also been known to start wildfires.
https://www.firetrace.com/fire-protection-blog/wind-turbine-fire-statistics

Turbines are not hugely damaging to wildlife as some pp are suggesting. The process of environmental impact assessment, mitigation and compensation before an owf can begin to be built takes years and is very in depth - i know because it's my job. Things like bird collisions with turbines are far far lower than most people imagine as a result of this work. We also assess the impact on fish and marine mammals via acoustic monitoring and other things. Sure, they're not perfect but they're better than a coal fired power station! I'm in awe of the engineering side of things, it's mad

How don't they wander off?!! > half fascinated and half terrified and also regards a boat trip to see them <