Wind could be an invisible blessing

Although I frequently find myself leaning agnostic, at the same time I enjoy embracing mysteries, and during Christmas, take pleasure in adorning my tumbledown shack with a few festive lights to celebrate the great unknown.

As with most years, this season, before the snowstorms blew in, I devotedly laid out some red and green spotlights, aiming them strategically high, onto the front yard’s towering pines. Then I flipped the switch on to illuminate the evergreens, for passerby to enjoy during divine twilight hours. I figured this would raise the power bill; but also, at least gain onlookers some imagn’d fleeting joy, as they passed by the modest shack. One merry passerby even remarked that he enjoyed watching the colored lights dance as they kissed the swaying treetops, while the canyon’s moderate winds blessed the sparkly evenings. Then he kindly reminded me that in some indigenous circles, they call the gift of wind, “The Breath of God” or The Spirit that runs through all things.

When the monthly power bill arrived, it shocked me a bit to discover it cost thirty percent more than previous Christmas’s. Then; I felt as if part of a mystery was cracked: When a Idaho Power spokesman recently visited, to proclaim that “Wind itself just isn’t here;” perhaps afterward; as he embarked on evening tours around our tranquil valley; enjoying every illuminating light, he held dear, an inner joy that those holiday lamps, translated into 30% higher shimmering corporate profits.

Even though he worshiped a lesser ideal, where, up ‘till recently, it’s been strict company policy to deny wind and much of what it freely offers; I still wish him Godspeed, while March roars in swiftly, like a turbulent lion.

http://www.magicvalley.com/news/article_c07f361d-eedb-5481-be53-d57c7ca04169.html

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Sun and wind are best for us

(200 word version)

It’s disconcerting to read Rep. Mike Simpson tout nuclear as the best green option in our energy debate. He claims, “France learned long ago that nuclear energy is safe, abundant and cheap.”

While it’s true France uses 80 percent nuclear power, there’s a big brouhaha going on about related problems. For one, the French lay their insidiously deadly toxins to rest for millennia in poor peoples backyards. Much like Three Mile Islands’ skeleton core here in Idaho.

While Mr. Simpson says nuclear energy is safe, a uranium leak last summer in France, led to a user ban in two Vaucluse Rivers. What if we had to forgo boating and fishing in our Snake?

Rep. Simpson concludes, “Who wants their grandmother’s kidney dialysis machine to rely on wind energy on a calm day or solar energy when the sun is not shining?” Naturally, concerned relatives want reliable backup generators for such concerns, and currently scientists are developing innovative products that run off both solar and wind power, and require infrequent charges.

Instead of greenwashing Grandma with putrid plutonium promises, wouldn’t she rather see us funding her grandchildren’s colleges with more R&D to augment what safe, abundant sun and wind can generate?

Sun and wind are best for us

It’s disconcerting to read Rep. Mike Simpson touting the most dangerous element under the sun (Idaho Statesman, May 31) as the best green option in the energy debate. Mr. Simpson says, “France learned long ago that nuclear energy is safe, abundant and cheap.”

While it is true that France uses over 80 percent nuclear power for electricity, there is a big brouhaha going on over there, about some enormous problems this has wrought. For instance, where do you think the elite French are trying to lay their insidiously deadly toxins to rest for millennia? Why it’s being shoveled into poor peoples backyards, of course. Much like the Three Mile Island skeleton core transported to radiate here in meager Idaho’s National Lab.

While he claims, nuclear energy is safe; perhaps Mr. Simpson does not realize that a uranium leak last summer in one of France’s nuclear plants, led to a fishing, swimming and well-water drinking ban in two Vaucluse rivers. How would he feel if we found ourselves forced to forbid recreational boating, fishing and simple splish-splashing in our Snake?

At the conclusion of Rep. Simpson’s argument he asks, “Who wants their grandmother’s kidney dialysis machine to rely on wind energy on a calm day or solar energy when the sun is not shining?” This is preposterous fear mongering. Naturally, concerned relatives would want reliable backup generators available for such important concerns. And, currently some inspired scientists are developing innovative products that run off both solar and wind power, and only need charged every four days.

Instead of greenwashing Grandma with putrid plutonium promises, perhaps she would rather see us funding her grandchildren’s colleges with more research and development departments to augment what safe, abundant and inexpensive sun and wind can generate for us, and the lifesaving machines we rely upon.

To put this in better perspective, I wrote this letter mostly in response to the Forest Service review, of the South Hills wind towers:

http://www.magicvalley.com/articles/2009/05/08/news/minicassia/161347.txt

In addition, it will be refreshing to see windmill “bird diverters” and other equally resourceful devices featured more in our local media.

Recently, our first energy secretary James Schlesinger, along with Robert L Hirsh wrote an informative article called “Getting Real on Wind and Solar”:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/23/AR2009042303809.html

In this article, these specialists remind us what a powerfully complex issue that energy is.

They point out “Some serious realism in energy planning is needed, preferably from analysts who are not backing one horse or another.” At another point, they mention, “At locations without such hydroelectric dams, which is most places, solar and wind electricity systems must be backed up 100 percent by other forms of generation to ensure against blackouts. In today's world, that backup power can only come from fossil fuels.”

Yet; albeit starting small; our next generation of Tesla’s has already developed wind / solar powered street lights that only need charged once every four days and without the use of fossil fuels:

http://cleantechnica.com/2009/05/13/exploiting-the-downsides-of-wind-and-solar/

Regarding the South Hills wind towers

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Regarding the South Hills wind towers

With the vast potential Idaho has for utilizing wind power, I would be interested in learning more about how the bird-diverters work. Many of the powerful interest blowhards, who speak out against wind power, amplify bird deaths and because of this, say that wind should be out of the question; instead of remarking, “Hey, wind is simply a great idea! Why can’t we inject more research and development into ways to prevent bird windmill casualties?”

Last year Popular Science Magazine featured an award-winning invention that employed wind power from Ginormous rubber bands. If developed further, such devices could help our country emerge from the current economic and energy Dark Ages. While inventions like this hold great possibility for our future, naysayers will probably find ways to claim that whippoorwills and hummingbirds will be fatally attracted to the buzzing sound.

Before our country started becoming a lazy fast food TV nation, we held our inventors in higher esteem. While the next generation of Tesla’s Edison’s, Kamen’s, Hurtibise’s and Farthsworth emerge, we should give these ingenious energy saviors more enthusiastic support, instead of sticking our heads in South Idaho sand to avoid wind.

http://www.magicvalley.com/articles/2009/05/12/opinion/letters/161621_119.txt

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/23/AR2009042303809.html

Utilizing Wind Power Stories

JBanholzer Says:
October 27th, 2007 at 7:46 pm

Here is a revolutionary new method for harnessing wind power:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mTLO2F_ERY

Rube Goldberg was on this same laugh track, when he designed a device capable of harnessing politicians’ otherwise useless bloated airs.

If only the solution to Iraq and our energy problems were as simple as this new Rube Goldberg machine:

http://foehammer.net/2007/10/rube-goldberg-machine.html

Lastly, we see that the official door-slammed-tight policy of the United States Patent office is that “you can’t get something for nothing.”
Interesting here too, how the American Petroleum Institution was bragging back in 1940 that our automobiles contain “ever increasing efficiency.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3LiXJOQ8I0

Stop, look and listen closely at 4:33 when the narrator announces:

“No Mr. Goldberg, not even your genius is equal to that task. In fact, the United States patent office will no longer grant a patent for the design of a perpetual motion machine. Because the experts in that office know that, you can’t get something for nothing. That you can’t get power out of an engine without paying for it in fuel. Fortunately, for us however, man has discovered a virtually unlimited source of power. He has paid for it that power by years of painstaking research and experimentation. That source of power is gasoline.”

Then the hot-air blather continues in perpetuum unharnessed…