[Newsbot]

Title: French farmers say wind turbines and solar panels have killed hundreds of their cows
Category: Environmental
Posted By: N_Fiddledog
Date: 2019-03-27 15:42:39

[N_Fiddledog]

Oh dear...

Wind powered Bovicide.

[BartSimpson]

FYI: Beware of discount beef from France.

[Freakinoldguy]

BartSimpson BartSimpson:

FYI: Beware of discount beef from France.

Fuck I just bought two tins of French corned beef because it was $2.00 cheaper than the Argentinian ones.

Now I know why.

[N_Fiddledog]

I read somewhere, something about the same kind of electrical current in the ground problem either scaring away or killing the worms, making the ground unworkable for agriculture. Something like that anyway.

[Prof_Chomsky]

N_Fiddledog N_Fiddledog:

I read somewhere, something about the same kind of electrical current in the ground problem either scaring away or killing the worms, making the ground unworkable for agriculture. Something like that anyway.

I think the worm thing is caused by vibration, but I may remember incorrectly. A lot of areas are complaining about a humm around those things that slowly drives you insane. Not sure if it's real, but if so I hope they work out all the bugs.

I can't imagine for a second "electricity in the ground" is killing anything though. I mean, high voltage power lines would be even worse.

[DrCaleb]

Prof_Chomsky Prof_Chomsky:

I can't imagine for a second "electricity in the ground" is killing anything though. I mean, high voltage power lines would be even worse.

There can't be any 'electricity in the ground'. 'Ground' is the Zero voltage reference used to measure the difference in electricity potential. That's why your house has a 6 foot rod of metal, usually copper, that is connected to the middle plug on every outlet in your home. The potential between ground and the voltage in the wires is what provides electricity.

If there were any 'electricity in the ground' it couldn't flow anywhere.

[raydan]

Prof_Chomsky Prof_Chomsky:

I think the worm thing is caused by vibration, but I may remember incorrectly. A lot of areas are complaining about a humm around those things that slowly drives you insane. Not sure if it's real, but if so I hope they work out all the bugs.

The humm (even worse when it's raining or humid) from high power electric lines bugs the hell out of me and I would never live close to them. When I'm hiking and have to pass under one, I get the f**k away as fast as I can... but maybe that's only me.

[N_Fiddledog]

Prof_Chomsky Prof_Chomsky:

I think the worm thing is caused by vibration, but I may remember incorrectly.

You're probably right. Like I said, or at least implied, my memory on this is vague. I just remember something about wind turbines scaring worms or something. So now we hear allegations about electical current in the ground killing cows so I assumed it was same thing. It's wrong to assume, of course.

[N_Fiddledog]

As to whether electricity traveling through the ground is possible, I'm not sure that's what's being alleged.

Some French farmer claimed he measured electricity in the ground around a wind turbine. Other farmers think their cows are being killed by the sort of thing he noticed.

Would the electricity have to travel through the ground? Could it travel over dewy grass, for instance? Could it be leaking from wires in the ground? Is there something special about the terrain?

I don't know. These French farmers seem to think they know the reason so many of their cows are up and dying though, and they claim it's electric current from the ground.

[PluggyRug]

DrCaleb DrCaleb:

If there were any 'electricity in the ground' it couldn't flow anywhere.

Not sure about that Doc. We did a college experiment to see. Two copper rods driven down about 12" and approx 50' apart, there was a pd of 2 to 3 volt between poles. A small current of approx 20mA was flowing. However no conclusions were ever drawn.

[DrCaleb]

PluggyRug PluggyRug:

DrCaleb DrCaleb:

If there were any 'electricity in the ground' it couldn't flow anywhere.

Not sure about that Doc. We did a college experiment to see. Two copper rods driven down about 12" and approx 50' apart, there was a pd of 2 to 3 volt between poles. A small current of approx 20mA was flowing. However no conclusions were ever drawn.

It was probably electrolysis from the copper and wet ground.

Electricity is a potential energy, like a car on a hill or climbing a tall building. High voltage electricity relies on Earth ground for it's potential (positive or negative). The voltage doesn't travel through the "ground" back to source like it does in a cell phone or car. (although it's called 'ground' in low voltage or DC circuits, it doesn't lead back to earth ground)

To have it flow through the ground, you'd have to connect the turbines with wires, like a parallel battery. Why would anyone design a system that wastes electricity like that?

[Freakinoldguy]

PluggyRug PluggyRug:

DrCaleb DrCaleb:

If there were any 'electricity in the ground' it couldn't flow anywhere.

Not sure about that Doc. We did a college experiment to see. Two copper rods driven down about 12" and approx 50' apart, there was a pd of 2 to 3 volt between poles. A small current of approx 20mA was flowing. However no conclusions were ever drawn.

Didn't Tesla experiment with things like this to see if he could build a wireless electrical network?

[llama66]

He did... It's amazing what he did. And that prick Edison stole his ideas.

[Tricks]

$1:

He discovered there were electrical currents of over one volt both in the ground and in the water - three times the accepted threshold for animals.

And how much current? 1.5 volt is a triple a battery. Assuming normal ground resistance of 5 Ohm, V = Ohm X A. So 1.5 = 5 x A. A = .3. So at worse we are looking at .3 Amps, if there is any sort of electrical flow (which I doubt). A 9 volt battery supplies .5 amps. So unless these cows can be killed by a 9 volt battery, I think this is bullshit.

And additionally, the resistance of the cow comes into play, which apparently is 500 Ohms (that's an interesting thing to test). So it'd actually be about 2 mA. If 2 mA can affect entire herds of animals, I'd be genuinely surprised.