While Cape Wind is debated, land-based development of wind power takes off

While Cape Wind is debated, land-based development of wind power takes off


Despite controversy that has slowed the Cape Wind project in Nantucket Sound, land-based wind farms are expanding rapidly in the region.

One company alone, First Wind Holdings LLC of Boston, has installed enough turbines in the Northeast over the past few years to generate nearly as much power as the long-awaited offshore wind farm. Other companies, too, have developed wind projects in New England states.

Driving this growth are technological advances reducing the cost of wind turbines and increasing their efficiency, making wind power more competitive with traditional power sources — particularly in the Northeast, where electricity costs can run as much as 60 percent above the national average.

Turbine prices have dropped about 30 percent over the past few years, and new turbines are able to generate electricity at lower wind speeds.

Meanwhile, average electricity prices in the Northeast can top 15 cents per kilowatt hour, compared to a US average of 9.52 cents. New wind technology can generate power at an average cost of about 10 cents per kilowatt hour, excluding subsidies, according to the US Energy Department.

“Some of the states in the Northeast have been some of the fastest-growing markets,” said Elizabeth Salerno, director of industry data and analysis at the American Wind Energy Association, a trade group in Washington. “Power prices are relatively high [there], so by delivering wind projects, you can develop a pretty affordable source of generation.”

First Wind has built wind farms in eight locations in Maine, Vermont, and upstate New York. With the 34 megawatts that will be added when the company completes its wind farm near Eastbrook, Maine, First Wind’s projects will have the capacity to generate nearly 420 megawatts of electricity, compared to Cape Wind’s 468 megawatts.... continued

Injured hiker saves rescuer hit by copter blades

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - When he broke his leg and needed to be evacuated from a national forest in Northern California, U.S. Air Force doctor Jeremy Kilburn never thought he would be called on to save the life of his rescuer.

But that's just what happened when a California Highway Patrol officer sent to help Kilburn last week in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest was hit by the rotor blades of a helicopter. The injured Kilburn and the officer, Tony Stanley, switched roles.

Kilburn told The Associated Press on Tuesday that Stanley suffered a fractured skull.

When he learned of the injury, Kilburn hobbled, fell and crawled about 50 yards on his broken leg to Stanley.

"Yes, you're in pain, but this guy is dead or dying or something," he said. "All my military training told me I had to get to this guy now. The adrenaline just kicks in."

Stanley, who was unconscious, had lost blood, but that wasn't Kilburn's main concern. He was worried about his breathing.

He inserted a tube in the back of Stanley's throat to help keep his airway open and directed another person to keep pressure on his skull.

Kilburn, a critical care pulmonologist with the Air Force assigned to Nellis Air Force Base outside of Las Vegas, Nev., has experience treating brain injuries and had just given a talk about managing a patient's airway in such cases.

He wanted to do a more elaborate procedure to secure Stanley's airway, but decided against it.

"I just had this thought that doing something fancy is going to get me in trouble here," he said. "Let's do simple things."

When Stanley started to come to, Kilburn decided that was the time to try to get him out of there.

Stanley was put on a stretcher, loaded onto the helicopter and taken to a hospital.

The CHP has declined to reveal his condition, but Kilburn said on the flight over, Stanley gave him a thumbs up. He is hopeful Stanley will make a full recovery.

Stanley, 40, was one of two officers called out to pick up Kilburn, who said he suffered his broken leg when his dog nudged him after a long hike and he landed awkwardly. He was able to contact the CHP with the help of a camp group from Santa Cruz that had access to a satellite radio, he said.

The helicopter landed on a granite rock next to a steep embankment. As Stanley started to climb up the embankment to reach Kilburn, he was hit by the aircraft's rotor blades,........

Read more: http://ow.ly/c9tSx
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Teen Boy Loses Arm After 11-Foot Alligator Attacked Him in Florida River

“He’s been around alligators all his life,” the friend continued. “He’s smart enough – he knows if he offered him his arm he wouldn’t take his torso, so he was smart. He took the risk.”

Paramedics arrived and took the teen to the hospital, and before long trappers arrived on scene to try to find the gator responsible in hopes of recovering Langdale’s arm. Several hours and gators later, they indeed found both and sent the arm to the hospital. Unfortunately, it couldn’t be reattached.

Apparently Fred is in good spirits, however, saying he’s glad the gator got his right arm, because he uses his left to steer his airboat. He also said that he wants “the head” of the gator, to rest his prosthetic on once he has it.



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Source: http://ow.ly/c9oZO

Stranded baby beluga dies in Alaska

Alaska -
A baby beluga whale that was believed to be just 2 days old when it was found stranded after a storm in Alaska's Bristol Bay has died at a research aquarium where it received round-the-clock care by a team of marine mammal experts.
Read more: http://wfxt.m0bl.net/r/13ums