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Wednesday, May 2, 2007

Get me off the grid!!

What the hell is up with the spill of information? I have been searching for realistic instructions for building a small wind turbine for well over a week and I come up with shells of instructions, or instructions for 6th grade projects or articles about them without anything really useful, but nothing to actually tell me step by step how I can build my own. It's not like I can build a huge 17 foot radius turbine - I live in an apartment in Burlington. But how cool would it be to have one I could throw at the end of our drive way (which attracts wind year 'round) or even on the porch, which is also very often windy. Just a small one. I'd be happy with one that could generate enough energy to power a computer, or better yet, my UPS. If the wind dies down, I'd have some backup power... hahaha. Yeah, that was stupid. OK, enough power to power some of the passive electonics in the house that are always on, which really is mainly computers.

Now, I could do some research myself and come up with the requirement for such power and spend the entire summer learning electronics, aerodynamics and the like and eventually be able to start the project in August - if I'm lucky - but that's not what I want. It is do-able, and people are and have done it, so why aren't more people posting regular guy instructions for how to do it without selling the neighbor's children into slavery to pay for it?

Make Blog has stuff from time to time, usually shell articles with links to Instructables, but nothing of real practical use.

OK, I did just find this one a few minutes ago. Looks like something I should print on the new printer at home and store away... but I haven't read it thoroughly yet.

I've just been annoyed a lot lately (haha, I kid, I've been annoyed for a long time) about energy costs and BUllSHit lies that have caused gas prices this morning to be around $2.97/gallon. I want to be as green as I can be without having to do without some basics. For real. If people really want to convince people to become greener, should they do like what some municipalities are doing with recycling? Burlington has mandatory recycling and it's just covered with our taxes. Of course I wouldn't expect solar panels and portable wind turbines to be free, but they should at least be reasonably priced by now that more than the wealthy or credit card hippies, or people willing to step way outside the box can afford. If (and when) the wife and I get a house of out own, sure I'll be able to tinker with my own land and stuff a little more - if we're living near a river or stream that touches our property line, you better believe I'll be looking for a water turbine solution - but right now, we're still rent paying ijits.

I guess my point of this rant is that I don't understand why this kind of information - how to build your own energy saving/producing devices - is still being kept hidden, hard to find, or requires buying a book from someone. For real!! You'd think people looking to save the planet would be a little more open to giving away their ideas and experiences so that others can embrace them just as well. I give my friggin music away... how about a little love back?

If you know of the perfect resources for such my requests, post them in the comments.

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