A cry for help. Destruction of cozumel starting in 2013

[Darol]

If Pemex announced construction plans for a new refinery on Cozumel, I'd say hit the panic button.

 

[alexunderpressure]

What's the difference if Cozumel needs or doesn't need more electricity?

Last time I checked Cozumel wasn't its own country, but part of Mexico. Until Cozumel secedes from Mexico I think your government is going to look at the whole picture and decide how to manage Mexico's individual resources for the good of the entire country's needs. Again, I can understand the fears based on ecological impact of the island, but where the power goes is irrelevant. I'd focus on the environmental issues and not derail your focus.

The environmental impact is what we really care about, but, on top of that, the energy goes to the mainland. It makes no sense.

I kindly invite you to read the links I ´ve posted, there you can find info that may make you understand why we are worried.

Thank you very much for your comments,

Alex

 

[ggunn]

The environmental impact is what we really care about, but, on top of that, the energy goes to the mainland. It makes no sense.

I kindly invite you to read the links I ´ve posted, there you can find info that may make you understand why we are worried.

Thank you very much for your comments,

Alex

Energy goes where the demand is. If the turbines are connected to the grid on the island and the island uses more than they produce, the net flow is to the island. If less, then the net is away from the island.

Anyone who lives near a power plant of any kind can say that the power being generated near them is going somewhere else. My advice is to delete this from your list of complaints; it's an irrelevance and dilutes your argument.

 

[Prop Joe]

IMO
If they build the wind farm it will end up getting destroyed by storms/hurricanes. They will do irreversible damage to the jungle to put up something that the sea will destroy. Doesn't matter who gets the power. What a waste of time and resources that cannot be replaced...

 

[alexunderpressure]

IMO
If they build the wind farm it will end up getting destroyed by storms/hurricanes. They will do irreversible damage to the jungle to put up something that the sea will destroy. Doesn't matter who gets the power. What a waste of time and resources that cannot be replaced...

Exactly, the mills will not stand a cat 5 hurricane.

 

[ggunn]

IMO
If they build the wind farm it will end up getting destroyed by storms/hurricanes. They will do irreversible damage to the jungle to put up something that the sea will destroy. Doesn't matter who gets the power. What a waste of time and resources that cannot be replaced...

I'm a solar guy, not a wind guy, but it's ludicrous to think that hurricanes have not been considered in the engineering of a project of this magnitude.

---------- Post Merged at 11:51 AM ---------- Previous Post was at 11:48 AM ----------

Exactly, the mills will not stand a cat 5 hurricane.

And you know this how? Have you seen the wind loading sections of their engineering reports and established that the worst case peak wind speed being considered is less than that which the site is likely to experience?

 

[Mike]

If Pemex announced construction plans for a new refinery on Cozumel, I'd say hit the panic button.

Of if somebody announces a new marina to be built right in front of a popular reef, or they decide to build a cruise ship dock on Cozumel and bring thousands of tourist there every day with their trash and pollution, or somebody decides to build a hotel right on the beach, or build a Sam's Club...

oh wait, they already did all that.

Well I feel for you, it's rough for you guys. You have no confidence in your country to protect your environment, with Mexico's history of corruption you guys really never know if what you're being told is the truth or not, if somebody has paid off somebody and will rape and pillage you as a result. It's a tough spot to be in. The turtles and birds certainly don't sound like they are at much risk, roads? Well I guess that's going to be hard to swallow, I'm sure there were outcries when they put a dirt road around the east side of the island, and outcries when they eventually paved it, and now more are coming.. so goes paradise.

The ground water issue sounds like it could be the most serious. To Americans hearing about somebody pouring some concrete foundations through the water shed doesn't sound like a bid deal, be thankful they aren't fracking for oil on Cozumel like they do here in the US, pumping nasty chemicals below the water supply.

You residents need to create an on island environmental protection group, get some real money collected and get political and powerful if you really want to protect your island. Get local businesses who survive off the tourism on your island to purchase memberships and display logos. A couple of posts on scuba board aren't going to do you any good, you need way more horsepower. It's time to get local and get organized. I guarantee you this wind farm thing is just the tip of the ice berg for Cozumel. If you can't get the locals and business owners organized to protect your own island there is really little hope but to sit back and watch things change more and more.

 

[Magnolia3]

The gvnt doesnt want to destroy the landscape of the riviera maya, and most of that land is privately owned, whereas in Cozumel laws are being broken to build on protected areas (like the north of the island) and land that belong to the municipality.

Financially speaking, it´s better to ruin Cozumel than the riviera maya.

alex a lot of what you are saying does not make sense.. Recently I had reason to load Google Earth. I noticed a feature that put me back to 1960 photos... You might want to see what Solidaridad aka Playa looked like in 1960 and Cancun was nada.. Coz was a sleeping little nothing.


YOU need to weigh the impact of a wind farm, against the impact of all those people that keep coming to the entire coast line. All you do is point to a biased FB page, and some are not even on FB... or read spanish...
You arguments are all emotion based. How about providing us with more solid evidence.
When someone gives you a similar situation on Bonaire you just ignore because you do not want to believe that it could work, or so it appears.

I am not for or against the wind farm. I am pragmagtic in that you have two choices... one is fossil fuel that IS finite or the other that is completely renewable each day and has the ability to provide electricity.
All you environmentalists cannot have it both ways.. that is unless you would like to dismantle the entire dive industry that Cozumel thrives one, and thus delete your own job. I really don't think you have truly thought this through to a logical conclusion. It has finally reached an either or situtation.

You are fighting the Mexican government that has made a decision. I suspect the uphill battle is a waste. So try to mitigate the situation to the best advantage of Cozumel.
YMMV
'bella

notice NO one is screeching about the proposed bullet train from Playa to Merida and then the next leg would be merida to cancun to bring all those turistas to Chichen Itza... talk about impact on cities and the environment.. its why I rejected Merida to base myself out of..

 

[ggunn]

Well I feel for you, it's rough for you guys. You have no confidence in your country to protect your environment, with Mexico's history of corruption you guys really never know if what you're being told is the truth or not, if somebody has paid off somebody and will rape and pillage you as a result.

And that's different from conditions anywhere else in the world... how?

 

[Magnolia3]

Exactly, the mills will not stand a cat 5 hurricane.

you have proof of this how? The twin wind generators on my former sailboat lived thru Dean in 2007 and remained intact.. Have you read and can provide further proof that the engineering reports back up your claim?

---------- Post Merged at 01:12 PM ---------- Previous Post was at 01:09 PM ----------

I'm a solar guy, not a wind guy, but it's ludicrous to think that hurricanes have not been considered in the engineering of a project of this magnitude.

Love solar we have been using in Florida since the 1930's. However a solar farm of the magnitude that the wind farm would would take up many more hectares of land on the island or mainland and that much more CO2 eating plants would be sacrificed for it. Solar has come a long way, it has a long way to go before it can be totaly sustaining and produce the Amps compared to wind in the same size land area.

The above comment is based on twin wind generators vs twin solar panels on my boat. Wind produced consistenlty more amperage than the solar panels did on a daily basis.

--