I've mentioned them here a few times before, but the folks over at Forcefield have yet another amazing homebrew power project. This time they've built — using only “junk” parts and a home workshop — a 17' windmill capable of generating 3.5 kilowatts in relatively low winds.
While I'm keeping my fingers crossed for
various yuppies who've dropped out to live the good life (and escape the
peak oil apocalypse… or at least not feel the brunt of
$300-a-barrel crude quite as harshly), it's these guys that really prove that humanity can and will survive the energy “crisis”. I don't know that “crisis” is even the right word, because it's not so much that we're running out of energy, it's more that we're hitting a wall where our rampant over-consumption of energy must come to an end. So to make an inappropriate analogy, it's sort of like telling a 1,000-pound man that he's going to have to cut down from 20,000 calories a day to 2,500 — not such a bad idea anyway.
Speaking of wind, I was really inspired by this story on wind-assisted ships… Instead of using a sail they're using a large inflatable kite, flown at about a half kilometer high where the winds are consistent and powerful, to drag ships around.
The power generated is impressive. Their larger sails generate nearly
6 megawatts, which is enough to move an oil tanker or large cargo ship (or at least cut power use in half)… it's got me fantasizing about building a big (and cheap)
concrete barge and living on a portable island. One of the things you notice if you fly regularly is that the most amazing places in the world can only be reached by boat (or float plane). I like the idea of traveling around the world with Rachel, but I think I will have to build her a very nice boat to make a convincing case.
Anyway, it's kind of pathetic to end this entry on celebrity gossip, but
Bruce Willis dating Lindsay Lohan? I'm sure they each have a different reason from
the list, but… aw hell, what am I talking about, Rachel is like ten years younger than me (but at least ten years more mature mentally).
As always, I am in a glass house.
But that's OK, because as they say in the song, I do have opaque shower curtains.
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