Durb wrote:
ktmrfs wrote:
Been to china multiple times. Depends on where you are as far as visible polution as well as non visible but noticeable polution (eyes, lungs etc.) Some places are really bad, other places are comparable to most large U.S. cities.
But then in the U.S. places near coal fired plants have pretty bad visible and respiratory pollution as well. it's hard to clean up the pollution from coal fired plants, way worse than NG fired plants.
We had a relatively new coal fired plant about 150 miles from us. Every time we drove by it on our trips east the air was visibly darkened, sometimes pretty bad. Now that they have converted it to NG air is visibly clear whenever we drive by.
If you are referring to the Boardman coal fired plant, it closed two and a half years ago. Don't believe they ever converted to natural gas. The owner, Portland General Electric, closed the plant as it transitions to renewable energy sources, namely wind energy. The emissions of that plant were nothing compared to the sight of the hundreds of ugly wind turbines serving as a visual blight and destroying the view shed of nearby pristine country. Wind turbines have destroyed the beautiful vistas of the Eastern Columbia River Gorge. If the greenies weren't so anti fossil fuels, they would be protesting in the streets to remove the wind turbines.
When boardman was operating the "pristine view" down the gorge within 50 miles of Boardman was obliberated by the smog from boardman. It was hardly "pristine". Now at least the sky is clear all the way down the gorge. Oh..... it's worse, now the smog doesn't obsure the windmills!!!
PGE has two NG fired plants near boardman. Not sure if they were new plants replacing the boardman coal fired plant or reworking the boardman coal fired plant for NG, but non the less the coal fired plant(s) are gone and there is NG plants to replace it.
And from our traveling down the gorge, once boardman coal fired plant close, eureka, amazing difference in the air quality for 50+ miles around boardman
Don't know why wind turbines are painted white, it should be easy to make them less visible, not doubt. And it does distract from the view. However IMHO it's WAY better than the smog that enveloped the gourge from before boardman to north of tri cities on most days from the coal fired plant. We travel down that area dozens of times during they year and while boardman was operating we NEVER encountered anything resembling clean air, always either hazy or very hazy in that area. Not to mention the mercury emitted from coal fired plants.
Coalstrip in Montana with the coal fired plants is as bad or worse for smog and emissions.
I'll take the visual distraction from wind turbines any day over the smog from a coal fired plant.
