Windmill Stories

[earle_rich]

I remember the time I was an examiner for the Alternative Energy Grant program, a simplified way for individuals to take a sip from the government sugar teat. There were several catagories, and I was the one reviewing the windpower proposals for the State of Maine

Comments

[carbonunit]

They guy who wanted to generate power from his air vents remind me of this. It's a project to build a giant solar chimney which contains turbines.

The funny thing about this project is that the standard outback dunny has a similar chimney! Pit toilets usually have a black metal chimney which heats up from the sun and uses convection to suck air from the pit, and dry out the contents. They aren't usually a kilometre tall though...

Cheers
Matthew

re: Windmill Stories

[earle_rich]

Those "power towers" have been around since the late 1920s that I know of. Popular Science, Pop Mechanics, Science and Mechanics magazine would often run stories of the latest "breakthrough" in power generation. In the late 1970s, there were serious proposals for massive towers to equal a small nuclear power plant. All they needed, of course, was enough government money to save the world.

Earle Rich
Mont Vernon, NH

[malwae]

Alas, this phenomenon exists in other venues as well...

I always used to listen with at least half an ear of sympathy to any and all indignant well wishers on NPR. Through you, I grew an awareness that those who complain that the evil government is crushing their scientific breakthroughs to free us from industrial power interests are likely deserving of being ignored. And now on the political side, I know that most who would give charity to the oppressed poor are also, sadly, undeserving of attention. It's kind of the same feel in both situations. If only the greedy/rich/powerful would heed their call...