Friday, June 3, 2011

Energy and Environment

In the news, all those windmills the Brits invested in seem to be languishing in the still air, victims of a shortage of wind. It was said that if the government were put in charge of the Sahara desert, within 6 months there would be a shortage of sand. Well here's proof.

We were told that unlike oil, no matter how much wind we used, there would always be more, but look, we've only just begun to tap the worlds wind reserves, and already there's shortages. This is having an impact on Vestas, maker of giant windmills worldwide, who is currently laying off large numbers from its plants in Denmark.

There's a Vestas plant just north of Denver too, but as long as the Dems run the state, they'll have a market for their product.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Just wait until we start using up all the sun's solar energy...

Billll said...

Good point. No one's adding Hydrogen to the sun to make up for the part we use up keeping the beaches warm. They'll be sorry when it all goes dark and cold.

Brad K. said...

I recall a while back that California closed a section of the coastal highway -- in case a turbine having problems some 20 miles away broke down and spewed chunks and pieces that way.

So, what happens to the world's wind farms, after the first several break up in spectacular fashion, or even get hit by a tornado or hurricane? What if an earthquake of surprising magnitude were to topple two or three wind turbines into each other? Whoops!

And why aren't we seeing any interest in water wheels for personal and community power needs? Or a series of ducted fan turbines to grab power from a larger river without blocking the whole stream? I would think any stream with white water would be an invitation to replace part of the rocks and impediments with electricity generating capacity, carefully engineered to maintain the same water flow as originally found.

Then again, I can imagine an open-piston reciprocating pump, where the open end under water charges a chamber to pressure, which is then released -- to compress air to power a watermelon cannon.

BTW, I have a friend looking for a 140-180 pound anvil. He wants to enter an anvil shoot competition. (Set an anvil outside. Add a pound or two of black powder, there are two different classes. Set the to-be-lofted anvil upside down atop the first anvil and black powder. Safely, and from a distance, set it off. Observe the to-be-lofted anvil being flung, with great noise and smoke, some 200 or 400 feet high, depending on whether you are in the 1 pound of black powder class or 2 pound class. Don't try this without clearing explosive use with local authorities, and adequate safety precautions. Don't try this at home. Please.)

The anvil I have still gets used, occasionally, for mundane things like banging on metal.