I wonder what it is that draws us to sunsets? As I went to a nearby beach to watch the sun drop into the Irish Sea once more, there were as ever, a collection of cars lined up facing out toward the water. Their occupants were of all ages, some couples, some groups, some alone, but all gathered to watch the spectacle that is an assured crowd pleaser.
Some years ago, when my finances were tighter, friends and I used to go and watch the sunset several times a week. It was the cheapest form of entertainment for us all, and we never grew tired of it. We would goof around writing our names in the sand or throwing stones into the waves counting how many times we could make them hop on the surface before they sank. And sometimes we would just sit on the sand or the wave breakers and watch the sun disappear from view and listening to the waves without saying a word to one another.
On the horizon tonight there were some new additions. Wind turbines under construction as part of the new Burbo offshore wind farm. When complete there will be 25 such turbines just outside the mouth of the River Mersey on the Burbo Flats four and a half miles off New Brighton in the Liverpool Bay.
Some people might feel that such a wind farm would spoil an otherwise undisturbed scene, but I actually think these wind turbines could add something to the experience of watching a sunset.
To me they are symbols of optimistic forward thinking representing a more responsible way of living. Upon it’s completion the Burbo offshore wind farm will provide clean renewable energy for somewhere in the region of 75,000 homes.
It won’t be the only wind farm you can see from the beaches where I live though. Just off the North Wales coast is the North Hoyle offshore wind farm. Built in 2003 it was the UK’s first major offshore wind farm. On clear days it’s visible from beaches around the Wirral Peninsula, including New Brighton. There are six wind turbines at the Royal Seaforth Dock, Liverpool, and just a few miles north, but out of site from the beaches where I live, is the Barrow offshore wind farm.
The new Burbo offshore wind farm will be in commission for 20 years at which point its status will be reviewed. If decommissioned the turbines can be disassembled and removed in a relatively short amount of time, returning the coastal horizon to its state. It’s hard to imagine a coal, oil, or nuclear power station being able to make that same claim.
I can’t imagine that the windmills will detract from my enjoyment of any future sunsets. If anything they might offer new photographic challenges. But really, when it comes down to it as good as any photograph of a sunset might be, there really is only one way to best enjoy them, and that’s to actually be there. I plan to do more of that.
—
Burbo offshore wind farm
North Hoyle wind farm (off North Wales coast)
Embrace Wind Energy
Yes 2 Wind
[Movie] North Hoyle wind farm
[Movie] Sunset (a very short movie I made)
Wrote the following comment on May 27, 2007 at 3:09 am
I like watching sunsets because no two are alike and they, much like sunrises, produce colors that cannot be found anywhere in nature. Pantone and Crayola have not found a way to perfectly match the colors.
Wrote the following comment on May 27, 2007 at 10:45 am
Sunsets are just another of natures magnificent images. As for windfarms they are a great renewable resource. I think that they enhance the look of the environment, knowing all the good they are doing.
Wrote the following comment on May 27, 2007 at 1:31 pm
On more than one occasion I remember racing back to the Wirral to catch the sunset–the night’s premiere attraction : ) It’s so cool to live on a West coast.
Wrote the following comment on May 27, 2007 at 2:03 pm
Gorgeous pictures!
Wrote the following comment on May 28, 2007 at 1:11 pm
Maybe because it gives us hope that there will be a dawn again, in this beautiful world.
Wrote the following comment on May 28, 2007 at 4:31 pm
What I like about sunsets is this whole new beginning/end thing. Interestingly enough, in German there is no distinction between dawn and dusk, we say “Dämmerung”. At first you’d think, “But that’s not right, surely”. And you might be right. However, if you look at it in a way that an end is also a new beginning then the whole thing is in flux.
And depending where you live (Scandinavia, for example), there are times in the year where there is no complete darkness and dawn and dusk are one – “Dämmerung”.
Richard Wagner even picked up on this with the last part of his Ring Cycle, “Götterdämmerung” (translated as “dawn of the gods”, which is not 100% correct, of course). And in the story it shows that the end of the gods is the beginning of a new era (with or without new gods, we don’t know).
If you made it until here, well done for not falling asleep! ;-)
Wrote the following comment on May 28, 2007 at 11:38 pm
I didn’t fall asleep Pichel :-)
Wrote the following comment on May 30, 2007 at 4:29 pm
Beautiful pictures Simon!
Wrote the following comment on May 31, 2007 at 2:53 pm
Beautiful sunsets and good to hear about the windfarms, too. I love watching the sun sink into the sea. You can almost hear it sizzling.