Reply #4: I like how 144,000 turbines are equated with 300,000 40s' vintage aircraft [View All]

For starters, there's a massive discrepancy in size and tonnage of materials required. Simple mathematics reveals the vast difference in tonnage.

Assuming all aircraft built during WW2 by the USA were B-29 Stratofortresses, the largest aircraft built during the war at 40 tons, we get the following tonnage value.

300,000 x 40 = 1,200,000 tons

Now, wind turbines are massive constructions compared to a 1940s strategic bomber. I found multiple technical sources quoting the weight of the nacelle at 350 tons. Not that this is not taking into account the blade weight or tower weight.

144,000 x 350 = 50,400,000 tons

Oh yeah, 144,000 wind turbines is totally "less" than 300,000 bombers.

If you want another comparison of what a massive heap of metal 50,400,000 tons of steel is, consider that the displacement tonnage of a supercarrier is 112,000 tons.

Some more simple math gets us this comparison...

50,400,000 / 112,000 = 450 Carriers

Four hundred and fifty supercarriers, folks. That is the industrial output needed to replace all petroleum road vehicles in the US with electric wondercars.

Edit: I did more math. D:

http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Tech%2Band%2BScience/Story/STIStory_403592.html

Wind installations in the North Sea using 5mw turbines. 250m euros to put up 12 turbines.

250/12 is roughly 20m euros per turbine installed. Now the math gets scary...

20m x 144,000 turbines is 3,000,000,000,000 euros. Yes, that is 3 trillion.

To make it even scarier, convert euros to dollars US.

At current rates that's roughly 4.09 trillion greenbacks.

Yep, 144,000 turbines, no problem at all.