In his recent yearly address, billionaire and philanthropist Warren Buffett had nothing but praise for the US and the direction things are heading. One especially positive note is Buffett's thoughts on American rail, seen here in the New York Times, are as follows.
“Railroads have major cost and environmental advantages over trucking, their main competitor,” said Mr. Buffett. “Our country gains because of reduced greenhouse emissions and a much smaller need for imported oil. When traffic travels by rail, society benefits."
Of course this follows Buffett's 26 billion dollar purchase of Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad. Either way you look at it, this is positive press for American rail. To see an investor like Buffett "all aboard" with the idea, and calling it his highlight of 2010, is even better!
Monday, February 28, 2011
Monsanto evades liability for genetically modified crops by shifting blame to farmers.
Everybody's least favorite industrial-agriculture giant is at it again! Monsanto, with protection of State and Federal agencies, are forcing farmers to sign an agreement that transfers all liability to the farmer. Monsanto's "Technology/Stewardship Agreement", includes this little section, absolving Monsanto of sin.
"GROWER’S EXCLUSIVE LIMITED REMEDY: THE EXCLUSIVE REMEDY OF THE GROWER AND THE LIMIT OF THE LIABILITY OF MONSANTO OR ANY SELLER FOR ANY AND ALL LOSSES, INJURY OR DAMAGES RESULTING FROM THE USE OR HANDLING OF SEED (INCLUDING CLAIMS BASED IN CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE, PRODUCT LIABILITY, STRICT LIABILITY, TORT, OR OTHERWISE) SHALL BE THE PRICE PAID BY THE GROWER FOR THE QUANTITY OF THE SEED INVOLVED OR, AT THE ELECTION OF MONSANTO OR THE SEED SELLER, THE REPLACEMENT OF THE SEED. IN NO EVENT SHALL MONSANTO OR ANY SELLER BE LIABLE FOR ANY INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL,
SPECIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES."
And should the contract be terminated; "If this Agreement is terminated pursuant to such a notice, Grower’s responsibilities and the other terms herein shall survive (such as but not limited to Grower’s obligation to use Seed for a single commercial crop) as to Seed previously purchased by the Grower"
What this means is that should a farmer, growing Monsanto's genetically modified crops, experience any problems, incur any damages, or be faced with losses related to those crops, the farmer is now liable. Any problems related to Monsanto's crops are now officially not Monsanto's problem.
This coming from the company that continually blocks independent analysis of their GM crop products, sues farmers who neighbor fields planted with Monsanto product when they cross pollinate non-Monsanto crops, and who actively seek out and destroy seed saving and sharing operations. These kinds of predatory practices are worse the the banking industry. This company is blatantly forcing farmers to put a noose around their necks and swing. Where is our government? Where are the agencies who supposedly protect farmers rights? All in the pockets of the corporation, and that doesn't take any far fetched assumptions.
So what is happening with Monsanto product that makes it so dangerous that the company won't try to defend its products or its growers? Recently Monsanto's products have been linked to numerous livestock problems, most notably miscarriages of pregnant livestock. Now as a farmer, when your animals lose their young, you can't go after Monsanto, and are out the money for the animals, time, labor, and the dangerous feed crop you fed your stock. Moreover when the threats of GM crops begin to be apparent in humans and their direct food chain, Monsanto will have already covered its tracks and be completely untouchable. This is a dangerous situation for our agricultural industry to be forced into.
Read the Treehugger article here, and the Monsanto Technology/Stewardship Agreement here.
Support fair and reasonable business practices, buy local, buy organic, and if you buy seeds, track down the source so you don't find yourself with Monsanto product.
"GROWER’S EXCLUSIVE LIMITED REMEDY: THE EXCLUSIVE REMEDY OF THE GROWER AND THE LIMIT OF THE LIABILITY OF MONSANTO OR ANY SELLER FOR ANY AND ALL LOSSES, INJURY OR DAMAGES RESULTING FROM THE USE OR HANDLING OF SEED (INCLUDING CLAIMS BASED IN CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE, PRODUCT LIABILITY, STRICT LIABILITY, TORT, OR OTHERWISE) SHALL BE THE PRICE PAID BY THE GROWER FOR THE QUANTITY OF THE SEED INVOLVED OR, AT THE ELECTION OF MONSANTO OR THE SEED SELLER, THE REPLACEMENT OF THE SEED. IN NO EVENT SHALL MONSANTO OR ANY SELLER BE LIABLE FOR ANY INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL,
SPECIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES."
And should the contract be terminated; "If this Agreement is terminated pursuant to such a notice, Grower’s responsibilities and the other terms herein shall survive (such as but not limited to Grower’s obligation to use Seed for a single commercial crop) as to Seed previously purchased by the Grower"
Page 2 of Monsanto's Technology/Stewardship Agreement
What this means is that should a farmer, growing Monsanto's genetically modified crops, experience any problems, incur any damages, or be faced with losses related to those crops, the farmer is now liable. Any problems related to Monsanto's crops are now officially not Monsanto's problem.
This coming from the company that continually blocks independent analysis of their GM crop products, sues farmers who neighbor fields planted with Monsanto product when they cross pollinate non-Monsanto crops, and who actively seek out and destroy seed saving and sharing operations. These kinds of predatory practices are worse the the banking industry. This company is blatantly forcing farmers to put a noose around their necks and swing. Where is our government? Where are the agencies who supposedly protect farmers rights? All in the pockets of the corporation, and that doesn't take any far fetched assumptions.
So what is happening with Monsanto product that makes it so dangerous that the company won't try to defend its products or its growers? Recently Monsanto's products have been linked to numerous livestock problems, most notably miscarriages of pregnant livestock. Now as a farmer, when your animals lose their young, you can't go after Monsanto, and are out the money for the animals, time, labor, and the dangerous feed crop you fed your stock. Moreover when the threats of GM crops begin to be apparent in humans and their direct food chain, Monsanto will have already covered its tracks and be completely untouchable. This is a dangerous situation for our agricultural industry to be forced into.
Read the Treehugger article here, and the Monsanto Technology/Stewardship Agreement here.
Support fair and reasonable business practices, buy local, buy organic, and if you buy seeds, track down the source so you don't find yourself with Monsanto product.
How Cuba Survived Peak Oil
"The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil" was a movie I watched in a contemporary issues seminar I had back in college. This movie, is a relatively uplifting tail about the realities of Peak Oil and how the people can effect change when they act together for a common purpose. Of course their actions came out of necessity, but the people of Cuba were able to almost completely kick their dependence on oil overnight when the fall of the Soviet Union shut off their oil supply.
The movie below is subtitled in Spanish. I couldn't find a way to turn subtitles off but it should be useful for my multilingual readers.
The Power of Community. How Cuba Survived Peak Oil (sub español) from El Tránsito Necesario on Vimeo.
I think Cuba almost had it better than we do. Their change came over night, kind of an extreme slap in the face. The effects of Peak Oil on the US are going to be more subtle and drawn out. I feel like the frog, sitting in a pot of water, being brought to a slow boil. The nice part about Cuba's predicament was that their changes were facilitated by the government. Issuing rations of food, bicycles for transportation, and mandating a emphasis on urban organic agriculture. Not all these solutions would work as effectively here, but there are places around the States where these types of changes could do a lot to numb the Peak Oil fallout.
The movie below is subtitled in Spanish. I couldn't find a way to turn subtitles off but it should be useful for my multilingual readers.
The Power of Community. How Cuba Survived Peak Oil (sub español) from El Tránsito Necesario on Vimeo.
I think Cuba almost had it better than we do. Their change came over night, kind of an extreme slap in the face. The effects of Peak Oil on the US are going to be more subtle and drawn out. I feel like the frog, sitting in a pot of water, being brought to a slow boil. The nice part about Cuba's predicament was that their changes were facilitated by the government. Issuing rations of food, bicycles for transportation, and mandating a emphasis on urban organic agriculture. Not all these solutions would work as effectively here, but there are places around the States where these types of changes could do a lot to numb the Peak Oil fallout.
Friday, February 18, 2011
War on Guns Declared in New York.
Well the downstate, gun haters, at it again. Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice launched a ten month probe, looking into the counties gun stores. The goal of this probe was to expose gun shop owners who had been temporarily modifying weapons in violation of the state's assault weapons ban. The ban on assault weapons limits the number of "evil" features on a weapon, like the ability to accept high capacity magazines, flash hiders, or collapsible stocks.
DA Rice's response to the results of this probe are appalling. Her disregard for the use of proper terminology, use of half truths, and misleading speech is going to cause trouble for gun owners state wide. Holding up a civilian legal AR-15 rifle, she refers to it as an assault weapon, which by definition it is not.
DA Rice's response to the results of this probe are appalling. Her disregard for the use of proper terminology, use of half truths, and misleading speech is going to cause trouble for gun owners state wide. Holding up a civilian legal AR-15 rifle, she refers to it as an assault weapon, which by definition it is not.
"The nine men arrested today were openly breaking the law, making a practice of putting profits before the safety of our citizens, and flooding our streets with dangerous assault weapons," Rice said. "Make no mistake, these are combat-specific weapons and not intended for hunting. They have no place on our streets or in the hands of civilians."
DA Rice, 17Feb2011
I wonder what DA Rice would make of the millions of gun owners, nation wide, who use the SAME EXACT rifles that she is describing for things like the Civilian Marksmanship Program, 3 Gun Completions, Collections, Hunting, and Sport Shooting.
Undoubtedly her actions will lead to more senseless laws restricting our second amendment rights. My advice to my readers is to get out of New York while you can. Maybe state lawmakers will realize that their unconstitutional laws and insane taxes are driving people out of this state in droves. Buy up your weapons and ammunition while you can, and pray they don't try to take them.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
We're on the brink of a massive food crisis (go plant a garden!)
Well another cheerful reminder of how precarious our way of life has become, this time from Lester R Brown, a much respected author on the topic of imminent agricultural collapse. Feel free to cut to the full article on TreeHugger .
We have seen for the last few months consistently record breaking increases in the price of food. December's prices shattered the record previously set during the 2007-08 price surge. January, in turn, tackled the December record by 3%... I will assume that come March we will hear something similarly dreadful about February price increases. So that's why my celery is $2.89 per bundle....
Now I'm not going to sooth your growing concern by telling you that a "Victory Garden" is going to save your soul. The solution is no longer that simple, nor was it ever, really. (But please do so anyway, it will help!)
The reality is that should the agricultural product of 2011 be anything but a great success we are likely to see civil unrest, war, and, possibly, the collapse of many governments around the world as shortages of food drive people to action. Countries depend on conditions that are no longer reliable; over-worked aquifers, petrochemical inputs, and consistent climate. In short many countries like India, China, the entire Middle East, and, to a lesser extent, United States are already facing problems with supplying their farm lands with what they need to survive.
Water tables are dropping substatially all over the world as aquifers are being pumped at hundreds of times their recharge rates. Oil is beginning to get scarce, and prices are as volatile as ever. This means that pesticide, herbicide, and fertilizer prices are going to keep going up, straining already strapped farmers to the breaking point. Not to mention the cost of transporting, processing, and packaging those beloved processed foods is going to skyrocket. To top this trifecta off the climate is beginning to shift, leading to all sorts of dramatic events. Droughts, floods, hurricanes, extreme temperature swings, etc, have all become a reality.
So what does this mean for us now?
We have a rising demand for food, because of the increase in population. More mouths at the table means greater inequalities as portions are given out. And no amount of humanitarian aid is going to help people out this time. Technology, try as it might, is about twenty years away from being able to roll out, en mass, any sort of solution.
So its time to grow a garden, raise it sustainably, and pray our leaders can hold the rest of the world together.
We have seen for the last few months consistently record breaking increases in the price of food. December's prices shattered the record previously set during the 2007-08 price surge. January, in turn, tackled the December record by 3%... I will assume that come March we will hear something similarly dreadful about February price increases. So that's why my celery is $2.89 per bundle....
Now I'm not going to sooth your growing concern by telling you that a "Victory Garden" is going to save your soul. The solution is no longer that simple, nor was it ever, really. (But please do so anyway, it will help!)
The reality is that should the agricultural product of 2011 be anything but a great success we are likely to see civil unrest, war, and, possibly, the collapse of many governments around the world as shortages of food drive people to action. Countries depend on conditions that are no longer reliable; over-worked aquifers, petrochemical inputs, and consistent climate. In short many countries like India, China, the entire Middle East, and, to a lesser extent, United States are already facing problems with supplying their farm lands with what they need to survive.
Water tables are dropping substatially all over the world as aquifers are being pumped at hundreds of times their recharge rates. Oil is beginning to get scarce, and prices are as volatile as ever. This means that pesticide, herbicide, and fertilizer prices are going to keep going up, straining already strapped farmers to the breaking point. Not to mention the cost of transporting, processing, and packaging those beloved processed foods is going to skyrocket. To top this trifecta off the climate is beginning to shift, leading to all sorts of dramatic events. Droughts, floods, hurricanes, extreme temperature swings, etc, have all become a reality.
So what does this mean for us now?
We have a rising demand for food, because of the increase in population. More mouths at the table means greater inequalities as portions are given out. And no amount of humanitarian aid is going to help people out this time. Technology, try as it might, is about twenty years away from being able to roll out, en mass, any sort of solution.
So its time to grow a garden, raise it sustainably, and pray our leaders can hold the rest of the world together.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
China and New Nuclear, Looks like we missed the boat again!
Today we take a look at China and nuclear power, specifically their steps towards utilizing thorium fueled, molten salt reactors (or MSRs). China has recently announced a plan to make MASSIVE steps forward in the realm of clean nuclear energy by building dozens of new reactors over the next 20 years, in an effort to wean the country off of coal and towards clean alternatives.
Nuclear? A clean alternative? What? Yes! It can be done, here's how. During the 1960's and 70's the US was obsessed with nuclear energy and figured out many different ways of producing energy from nuclear reactions. However, not all reactor types were created equal, most created hazardous waste and nuclear by-products suitable for weapons, a few others were able to produce energy without the nuclear waste or weapons potential. Obviously a country interested in stockpiling enough nuclear weapons to vaporize the planet twenty times over is not interested in the latter, and plans for such reactors were shelved.
It didn't take long for other countries to recognize the potential of a reactor that didn't create a environmental disaster and that is where these MSR reactors come in. A MSR reactor can be powered with a element called Thorium, which is a cheap, abundant, and SAFE reactant. Add thorium to a MSR and you have a reactor that can do a great many things, namely operate in a much safer and cleaner way than conventional reactors, like the ones found in the US. These reactors are also meltdown-proof, as thorium cores are liquid and not solid, to they can't go critical. Another interesting fact about MSR's is that they can also be powered with existing stocks of nuclear waste, potentially a solution to our nuclear waste storage problems!
So why are nations like China, India, France and Norway on board and not the US? We got a late start, but the President specifically mentioned Oak Ridge National Laboratory (the place where thorium MSR's were first conceived) in his State of the Union Address. So there is hope for us yet... But... If we are not careful and get on with our own R&D we could find ourselves importing this technology back from China, and thus becoming dependent on another foreign energy source after oil....
That is where I draw the line. Importing energy sources or technology from other countries is what put us in the energy choke hold we're in now! We need to start working towards our future and clean nuclear is another perfect technology for Americans to champion. But I'l remind you all again that there is no silver bullet, no singular technology or change in practice that is going to save our hides. Energy has to come from many places such as the renewables; solar, wind, and geothermal, and clean nuclear if we can do it. But we also need to make a paradigm shift in our way of life. Staples like transportation, agriculture, land use, and standards of living, all need to change before we can expect to see great strides forward. And we need to do it together, as Americans fighting to keep America strong in the years to come.
Read the article from Wired.com here.
Nuclear? A clean alternative? What? Yes! It can be done, here's how. During the 1960's and 70's the US was obsessed with nuclear energy and figured out many different ways of producing energy from nuclear reactions. However, not all reactor types were created equal, most created hazardous waste and nuclear by-products suitable for weapons, a few others were able to produce energy without the nuclear waste or weapons potential. Obviously a country interested in stockpiling enough nuclear weapons to vaporize the planet twenty times over is not interested in the latter, and plans for such reactors were shelved.
It didn't take long for other countries to recognize the potential of a reactor that didn't create a environmental disaster and that is where these MSR reactors come in. A MSR reactor can be powered with a element called Thorium, which is a cheap, abundant, and SAFE reactant. Add thorium to a MSR and you have a reactor that can do a great many things, namely operate in a much safer and cleaner way than conventional reactors, like the ones found in the US. These reactors are also meltdown-proof, as thorium cores are liquid and not solid, to they can't go critical. Another interesting fact about MSR's is that they can also be powered with existing stocks of nuclear waste, potentially a solution to our nuclear waste storage problems!
So why are nations like China, India, France and Norway on board and not the US? We got a late start, but the President specifically mentioned Oak Ridge National Laboratory (the place where thorium MSR's were first conceived) in his State of the Union Address. So there is hope for us yet... But... If we are not careful and get on with our own R&D we could find ourselves importing this technology back from China, and thus becoming dependent on another foreign energy source after oil....
That is where I draw the line. Importing energy sources or technology from other countries is what put us in the energy choke hold we're in now! We need to start working towards our future and clean nuclear is another perfect technology for Americans to champion. But I'l remind you all again that there is no silver bullet, no singular technology or change in practice that is going to save our hides. Energy has to come from many places such as the renewables; solar, wind, and geothermal, and clean nuclear if we can do it. But we also need to make a paradigm shift in our way of life. Staples like transportation, agriculture, land use, and standards of living, all need to change before we can expect to see great strides forward. And we need to do it together, as Americans fighting to keep America strong in the years to come.
Read the article from Wired.com here.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Excellent Example of Geothermal Success!
Well fist off let me apologize to my readers for not having anything new and interesting up here in the last eight days. It has been a busy and difficult week for me. Anyway you came here to be educated not hear me complain!
I was forwarded this link to an article on The Washington Post website about a contributor who switched their home over from conventional heating oil and air conditioning to geothermal for their HVAC needs. The author has a 4,400 square foot home in Montgomery County, Maryland. This immense house came with a likewise immense HVAC bill, but the decision to switch to geothermal was made for mainly monetary reasons. The author compared the costs of replacing their heating oil burning furnace and other HVAC equipment with conventional HVAC equipment, like they already had, but also clean alternatives such as solar, wind, and geothermal. Between matters of practicality, cost, and return on investment, the author and his family settled on geothermal.
The projected costs for new conventional HVAC equipment ranged in the $9,500 and $11,000 range, however geothermal would cost them $23,950, before tax credits. They were able to apply for national, state, and county level tax credits including a 30% national tax credit, and another $7,000 from state and county governments. This brought the total cost of their project down low enough to compete with conventional HVAC replacements. One thing I should note is that later in the article the author does mention the cost of additional electricity to power the geothermal system and the cost of heating oil for the conventional HVAC system. When they originally started their project heating oil cost $2.61/gal, and now heating oil costs $3.91/gal. This price changes depending on where you live, but one thing that you cannot escape is the fact that prices are predicted to rise steeply in the next few years. All things considered the author claims they will recoup their original investment in 4.4 years, and from then on be saving nearly $2,500 annually.
My personal opinion is that geothermal is the way to g if you want cheap and reliable HVAC for your home. If you are worried about added electrical expenses then I suggest you factor in the cost of a inexpensive solar panel system, which can be had for $600-$1,000, to supplement your home electricity needs. By providing a constant room temperature by means of a geothermal system, you will have to heat and cool your house with less effort, meaning more savings. This also will allow you to save money on utilities and heating oil that you can spend to further your homes efficiency with better insulation or windows and doors (all of which are usually the biggest reasons for a homes energy inefficiency). If you can obtain a small loan or have the extra cash to lay out I would suggest geothermal as a great starting point, or addition, to a sustainable or energy efficient home. With greater efficiency, comes greater independence for you and our country.
For more information on how geothermal works check out this article from Popular Mechanics.
I was forwarded this link to an article on The Washington Post website about a contributor who switched their home over from conventional heating oil and air conditioning to geothermal for their HVAC needs. The author has a 4,400 square foot home in Montgomery County, Maryland. This immense house came with a likewise immense HVAC bill, but the decision to switch to geothermal was made for mainly monetary reasons. The author compared the costs of replacing their heating oil burning furnace and other HVAC equipment with conventional HVAC equipment, like they already had, but also clean alternatives such as solar, wind, and geothermal. Between matters of practicality, cost, and return on investment, the author and his family settled on geothermal.
The projected costs for new conventional HVAC equipment ranged in the $9,500 and $11,000 range, however geothermal would cost them $23,950, before tax credits. They were able to apply for national, state, and county level tax credits including a 30% national tax credit, and another $7,000 from state and county governments. This brought the total cost of their project down low enough to compete with conventional HVAC replacements. One thing I should note is that later in the article the author does mention the cost of additional electricity to power the geothermal system and the cost of heating oil for the conventional HVAC system. When they originally started their project heating oil cost $2.61/gal, and now heating oil costs $3.91/gal. This price changes depending on where you live, but one thing that you cannot escape is the fact that prices are predicted to rise steeply in the next few years. All things considered the author claims they will recoup their original investment in 4.4 years, and from then on be saving nearly $2,500 annually.
My personal opinion is that geothermal is the way to g if you want cheap and reliable HVAC for your home. If you are worried about added electrical expenses then I suggest you factor in the cost of a inexpensive solar panel system, which can be had for $600-$1,000, to supplement your home electricity needs. By providing a constant room temperature by means of a geothermal system, you will have to heat and cool your house with less effort, meaning more savings. This also will allow you to save money on utilities and heating oil that you can spend to further your homes efficiency with better insulation or windows and doors (all of which are usually the biggest reasons for a homes energy inefficiency). If you can obtain a small loan or have the extra cash to lay out I would suggest geothermal as a great starting point, or addition, to a sustainable or energy efficient home. With greater efficiency, comes greater independence for you and our country.
For more information on how geothermal works check out this article from Popular Mechanics.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
The Two Faces of a Carbon Neutral China: More Hydro Expansion Threatens World Heritage Site
The goal of becoming carbon neutral is a lofty one and countries all over the world have made all sorts of promises claiming they are making steps to become carbon neutral. However sometimes there becomes a point when blind ambition, politics, and money are too deeply involved in these goals. One such example is China.
For the last few years we have been hearing a lot about China's plans to build massive, record shattering, hydroelectric plants and water diversion systems. The result of all this progress has been the relocation of hundreds of thousands of people, destruction of habitat for hundreds of endangered species, and loss of many culturally important sites. Moreover the planned expansions to take place within the next five to ten years, threatens millions more.
One such plan that has been on and off for a few years now is the hydroelectric dam on the Nu River in the South Central region of China. The planned 21.3GW project, not only will call for the relocation for over 50,000 residents, it will also threaten up to 80 endangered species, threaten the water supply of Burma and Thailand, and dam one of the last free flowing rivers in China. The Nu River carved what many call the "Grand Canyon of The Orient", and the over 13 individual dams that are planned will surely destroy much of its grandeur. For more on this see this article on Treehugger or this report from The Guardian.
So is the price too high for a carbon neutral China? Or is this the kind of progress that must be made? What can The United States learn from China's expansion, and the controversy it has raised? I welcome your comments on the topic.
For the last few years we have been hearing a lot about China's plans to build massive, record shattering, hydroelectric plants and water diversion systems. The result of all this progress has been the relocation of hundreds of thousands of people, destruction of habitat for hundreds of endangered species, and loss of many culturally important sites. Moreover the planned expansions to take place within the next five to ten years, threatens millions more.
One such plan that has been on and off for a few years now is the hydroelectric dam on the Nu River in the South Central region of China. The planned 21.3GW project, not only will call for the relocation for over 50,000 residents, it will also threaten up to 80 endangered species, threaten the water supply of Burma and Thailand, and dam one of the last free flowing rivers in China. The Nu River carved what many call the "Grand Canyon of The Orient", and the over 13 individual dams that are planned will surely destroy much of its grandeur. For more on this see this article on Treehugger or this report from The Guardian.
So is the price too high for a carbon neutral China? Or is this the kind of progress that must be made? What can The United States learn from China's expansion, and the controversy it has raised? I welcome your comments on the topic.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Bladeless Wind Turbines; An Interesting Concept For Alternative Energy.
Yesterday on The Tiny Life, I saw this article on a bladeless wind turbine concept that is more animal and NIMBY friendly. The concept is that a stack of blocks or forms made of foam, or other materials of similar density, are attached to poles in a grid-like pattern. These poles have small alternators at their connection that turn the movement into energy. As the blocks swing, or vibrate, back and forth in the wind they generator produce electricity.
The novel part of these generators is how they operate, the lack of large moving blades and tall towers, leave a very small physical and visual footprint. The low density blocks begin to move in the slowest of breezes, meaning that they will produce at least a little energy in low winds. The lack of spinning blades mean that these generators are more friendly to animals frequently disturbed by the typical wind turbine. Bats, migrating birds, eagles, hawks, bees, etc. are all in danger from the large spinning blades. No blades, no danger! And the NIMBY crowd will love these because of the low visual impact.
My verdict on these bladeless turbines is that they are not a solution to energy problems, but another helping hand along the way. They might work well in urban and suburban situations, but I doubt that they will draw much power. The design seems to be limited in that sense. That being said a well designed and advanced iteration of this concept might be able to power a small home, or a very efficient home. Large scale energy production with this concept will likely remain a concept.
Stay safe in this snow!
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