Road trip, day 7: Snyder, Texas

After we left Fort Worth yesterday we drove to Snyder which is not much more than a mining town – without the mine! On our way here we were surrounded by thousands upon thousands of wind turbines – the government’s answer to environmentally friendly power generation. 


Photo credit: wind-power-turbines.info



Although quite a sight to behold, these turbines seem to do little for the economy of the towns they surround.  Being self sufficient, they don’t generate any new employment and being so large, they take up A LOT of space; meaning the opportunity of utilizing the land in other ways (such as farming or town development) vanishes. They also affect wildlife since so much space is cleared away to make room for them and all of this in turn impacts tourism.  I guess they are a cleaner option, but I wonder if the steel turbines really are a greener option - when so many thousands are needed to produce the same energy as one power plant?... Moving on!  



I'm having a quiet day today, just working and catching up on some much needed laundry and rest at the hotel.  It's nice to have a down day and unscramble myself and my to-do list!