Alright, Who Ordered The Wings?

Jack Baruth
by Jack Baruth

When I saw this in the distance, I hustled up to see what it was, hoping it was part of an Airbus or Boeing of some type. It wasn’t, unfortunately. Do you know what it is?

That’s right! It’s a blade for one of the GE or Siemens wind turbines, very possibly allocated for T. Boone Pickens’ Midwestern diaspora of wind turbines somewhere. Wind power has all sorts of little problems associated with its adoption, from the relatively high rate of turbine failure to the amazing efficiency with which wind farms massacre entire flocks of migrating birds, but perhaps one of the most serious questions I would ask would be: Are they net positive energy? I’ve read that some solar panels are “energy-negative” for the first eight to twenty years of their existence. If wind turbines are similar, then we might as well admit the truth: nearly every “alternative energy source”, from biofuels to solar, is a very pretty modern home built on a Victorian foundation of oil and coal.

Jack Baruth
Jack Baruth

More by Jack Baruth

Comments
Join the conversation
4 of 116 comments
  • Chuck Goolsbee Chuck Goolsbee on May 13, 2011

    Boeing covers their wings while in transit. Having been a Seattle-area commuter for most of my life, I've shared the road with many a wing moving between Everett/Renton/Seattle Boeing plants. The front is a standard Paccar tractor, but the rear axle is a piloted set of eight wheels with a "driver" sitting as low as an Elise driver but holding a steering wheel the size of the Titanic's. Quite startling when you first see them. The whole wing assembly is covered by a large yellow tent-like structure. You can see some photos of them here.

  • Prattworks Prattworks on May 15, 2011

    These kinds of editorials would be laughable if they weren't so painfully bad. It's the sort of cringeworthy editorializing that Brock Yates and Csaba Csere used to engage in at Car & Driver magazine, and that ultimately led me to quit subscribing. Whether you agree with them or not, hearing car guys attempt to speak with authority on politics or economics is a painful departure from why I, and I think most readers of automotive journalism, read automotive press. For me, reading about great cars and driving experiences is an escape from the noise of daily life that is largely made up of uncivil political banter. Through great automotive writing I can immerse myself in something apolitical and be reminded of the sheer joy of driving feed my fascination with design and engineering. For me, Peter Egan is the gold standard - always classy, evocative, and clearly understanding that the joy of automobiles is tied to emotion and the music of life. Adding politics is unwelcome noise.

  • Bunkie Bunkie on May 15, 2011

    +1 On both points. Some of the political editorializing on TTAC lacks even the veneer of objectivity which, in my opinion, renders it almost useless. Worse, Jack Baruth seems to have exhausted his supply of funny or interesting personal stories. His forays into economics and politics pale compared to his insight into selling cars or describing certain members of the opposite sex. With respect to Peter Egan, I read his columns in both R&T and Cycle World and have been doing so for many years. It's a joy to read his work. He's an island of civility and wonder in the sea of self-important blather that is modern media. Finally, Cycle World has one other columnist whose work is without equal, Kevin Cameron. His explanations of the deep details of technology as well as the history and context thereof set the highest standard.

  • Timschevyz Timschevyz on May 15, 2011

    Hi I have a 1978 fiat ,that runs great, But needs some body work, Any body knows anyone that may be interested in it. Thanks Tim

Next