Ah, the ole-timey farm windmill, useful for pumping up water for animals. No reason we can't revive the windmill for modern use, say proponents.Detractors from modern three-blade wind turbines say they are ugly and clutter the landscape. Dusty D doesn't happen to agree--I think they look elegant, sculptural, and beautiful--but I can see their point.
So here's what the windmill proponents should do. Design windmills as beautiful as this one at the John Igo Branch Library in San Antonio. It produces energy for the library and is a work of art at the same time. Taking the ole-timey windmill into the modern age, with style....everything old is new again.--from the September 2009 MetalMag magazine (Dusty D reads a lot of weird stuff).
MetalMag is second only to Grain Journal as far as a source of completely useless yet fascinating tidbits to bore my long-suffering husband with. Grain Journal even has a serialized fiction story! It's quite suspenseful and dramatic! For all you silo fans out there (and don't forget the ten tips for silo safety).
ReplyDeleteWindmills are in the air today...
ReplyDeleteDiane Rehm had a fascinating interview this morning with William Kamkwamba today, a young man from Malawi. As a teenager, he built a windmill out of scrap parts to power lights and pump water using only the information he found in some old science textbooks. He has since built two more for his village. His story is in a new book, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind.
YES! I just read the same story on Reddit not 30 minutes ago! Amazing young man, and a wonderful, heartwarming story.
ReplyDeleteOoh, it's on Metafilter, too. Great story.
ReplyDeleteLove to see Water Street turned into a windfarm, with turbines built by recently unemployed auto workers in a slightly retooled auto plant. That would make me happy.
jml: Diane Rehm's Friday News Roundup FTW. Love that.
ReplyDeleteHere's the Reddit thread on the subject.
(whispers) if you look closely, you can find dusty diary's comment there...my reddit screen name is the same as here.