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https://www.dw.com/en/fossil-fuel-price-tag-cost-of-energy-transition-solar-wind-future/a-75237447?at_dw_language=en>
“In the rolling hills of southeast Queensland, Australia, farmer and
businessman Brent Finlay stands beneath turbines so tall they rival
skyscrapers.
"There's a lift inside that takes about 12 minutes to go from the bottom to the
top," he said, pointing skyward. Forty-five of the giant turbines that now dot
his property are part of the massive MacIntyre Wind Farm which will soon
generate enough electricity to power 700,000 homes.
It's a world away from the climate disaster Finlay endured five years ago when
a devastating year-long drought turned his fertile land to powder, birds fell
dead from the trees and thousands of native kangaroos perished from extreme
temperature fluctuations.
"Our ecosystem didn't just decline, it collapsed," he recalled.
Despite experiencing firsthand the devastation climate change causes, Finlay's
choice to host the wind turbines is not an environmental statement. "It's
additional revenue... an investment for future generations on this farm," he
told
DW, pointing out that intensifying weather extremes are making farming
more precarious.
Since then, he's been using regenerative farming practices to restore the wool
and beef farm that's been in his family for more than 100 years. But he's also
one of a growing number of farmers now allowing renewable energy projects on
their land. They can earn revenue through renting land to renewable energy
developers, while generating power for nearby communities.”
Via Mark Lansbury and Susan ****
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
