Blowin’ in the Wind

Ask people if they believe if we should lessen our oil consumption to reduce the effect of global warming and you usually will get no disagreement.

Two methods often prescribed for generating this power is with solar panels and windmills.

When you suggest putting windmills in somebody’s neighbourhood, that is when something hits the fan figuratively. Out come all the arguments why wind power is great, but not for that area.

Windmills are ugly. They are bad for the birds. They make too much noise. There is more wind in other areas. On and on it goes.

It seems people preach ecology when it is in someone else’s backyard. Threaten their quality of life and they are willing to claw away tooth and nail.

I am hoping that the price of windmills will be reduced along with the size, so I can get a pocket version that will supply the needs for my home

An idea that I have had for generating power is to sell home exercise equipment that provides electricity to charge batteries. This way you can put the energy you expend to good use. It would be a great way to get teens fit. Do they want to run the computer or watch television? Then “on yer bike” and provide the power to do it.

This would be a great incentive to get fit and save money at the same time. It will be particularly useful when we start buying more cars that run on electricity.

The way I see it, if people on bicycles could supply a rock concert’s power on Earth Day, we can do the same for all of our needs. The concept is having a larger version of those cranks on flashlights that don’t use removable batteries.

So it seems as if the answer is not blowing in the wind for some.