Wind Turbines

It's quite common to see the houses tucked into the hills of the Black Forest covered in solar panels as well as roof-top gardens atop of modern homes and apartment buildings.  Wind turbines also dot the countryside: I have a view of 3 from my window.

Germany has been reveled as a 'green' country for many years and is becoming greener each year, but not without its own bumps in the road.  Nuclear energy is hopefully going to be phased out completely in Germany and Baden-Württemberg elected a Green, Winifried Kretschmann, as their Ministerpräsident, which is promising.

The wanted/needed push for renewable energy is prevalent, however the debates come in choosing which is 'best'.  There are at least two sides to everything, however those sides pertaining to wind turbines are not necessarily clear-cut.  Renewable energy is good, altering the natural environment/wildlife is not, wind turbines can both attract and deter visitors, the NIMBY argument, etc.  Have a look at the article from Spiegel Online (I think it's slightly biased against turbines, however a good article regardless) or the Bundesverband WindEngergy (German Wind Energy Association) website for some direct pro-turbine related info.

For me, artistically speaking, I enjoy the stark contrast of having a huge technological device against a natural, wild though tailored, landscape.  It's man and nature interacting on varying levels, making it possible to combine past, present, and future within one shot.