Canada has been increasing its hydroelectric capacity. Alaska has great potential for hydroelectric dams. In Russia they had dams in the far north, had to make sure the intake for the water turbines was below the level for ice formation in the winter. The operating costs of hydro are very low, lower than for nuclear. Aluminum smelting required electricity to reduce the bauxite aluminum ore. Bauxite formed with the decomposition of clays at southern latitudes. Some of the first aluminum smelting was accomplished at Niagra due to the tremendous power potential there.

I used to be very skeptical of this kind of complaint until I married a prominent physician who treats many people with these issues. Many people become allergic to the yeast in beer and wine as they get older and their immune systems are less able to cope, myself included.

When the windows are closed, they are inaudible from inside a house. End of story.

Not so fast. Just because someone who casually visits can not hear it, does not mean someone who lives there cannot. Many people are seriously affected by this kind of thing.

If wind power is going to be a major means of replacing fossil fuels we are going to need hundreds of thousands of square miles of wind farms. This is going to be a major issue in the American west and Europe where it is going to be difficult to locate them away from people far enough not to cause these effects. This is a much more serious issue than the fears some have of living near nuclear power plants since they take up so little land. Wind energy has significant visual and auditory pollution issues.