Also, in one of the CFRE's earlier newsletters, there is a story titled "The Answer, My Friend, Is Blowing In The Wind." This story gives one an excellent portrayal of what it's like to be near large scale wind turbines. You might find yourself quite surprised.
- posted by Daniel @ 9:26 AM

 
Both of these Canadian organizations are doing good things with wind power in the great Lakes region.
- posted by Daniel @ 9:23 AM

 
I've also found a couple of good Canadian neighbors:
Ontario Sustainable Energy Association and Windshare - Toronto Renewable Energy Co-op.
- posted by Daniel @ 9:21 AM

 
It looks like the Canadian province of Ontario is making some early legislative moves to support renewable energy installation on a small scale for homeowners, with tax breaks and net metering regulations that support grid intertie for small residential point sources. Read all about it on the Citizens For Renewable Energy's newletter page March 2003 newsletter: CFRE March Newsletter
- posted by Daniel @ 9:11 AM

 
I had an interesting conversation with my brother yesterday. He loves politics, so I posed him some politial questions about higher learning institutions geared toward renewable energy. I have an idea in mind, but not ready to trot it out just yet. I'll bring that along sooner or later, though.
- posted by Daniel @ 8:15 AM

 
Interesting. The Chippewa, or Anishnabe tribe in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan is doing studies on feasibility and siting for wind power plants on reservation land owned by the tribe. Their stated goals are to increase self-reliance for energy, increase tribal employment, and increase renewable energy sources available in the region as an example of their cultural teachings about respecting the Earth. I wish them great success! You can read about their efforts at:The DOE Tribal Energy information page These people are helping lead the way to saving us all, and I applaud them for working to help technology operate in harmony with nature. I strongly believe we can achieve that goal without sacrificing the good things technology does for us - when we consider nature and work in concert with her in our plans.
- posted by Daniel @ 6:41 AM

 
Check out this site - real utility scale developement in Michigan of wind power - not on the lakes, but in the region. Bay Windpower I've signed up for their newsletter, I'll post update briefs as appropriate.
- posted by Daniel @ 4:23 PM

 
I may also post ads in some of the small local newspapers in the region at times, that would also help get the word out.
- posted by Daniel @ 4:06 PM

 
It's my intent to contact at least one new business or organization daily to request story referrals. It's my belief that persistence pays off. We shall see.
- posted by Daniel @ 4:05 PM

 

- posted by Daniel @ 4:02 PM

 
Off the subject, but very good reading: ENN's article on the largest park systems in the country and their quality, as well as how the best became the best in summary. I found it one of the more encouraging stories I've read lately.
- posted by Daniel @ 3:30 PM

 
Just did a few minor updates.
- posted by Daniel @ 9:36 PM

 
I did promise an account of the trip to Sheboygan...

I got up at five a.m. and left around six. It took me three full hours to drive to Madison and pick up Art Paul. I gave him one of my t-shirts and we both wore my design on wind energy to the benefit. We had a fairly quick breakfast at the Green Forest Cafe, which is located on Broadway in Madison. It's a good place, reasonably priced, and they were swamped, being a Sunday. On the way out of town, we stopped at Kinko's and made copies of the show flyer I had designed the previous week. The weather was kind of rough, windy and rainy. The winds were pretty strong at times, too. We loaded Art Paul's paintings in the truck and bagged them to keep them dry. The drive to Sheboygan from Madison is about an hour and a half when you're getting blown all over the highway through multiple construction zones designed to confuse you. (Would've made a lot of power that day with a good mill...)

We got to the benefit just before two p.m. and Cathy told us Art was on the schedule right away. We got him set up hurriedly and he started playing while I brought everything in. Craig set us up with a spot between two vendors and in front of the huge limestone fireplace. We didn't have a table, so I started getting creative with display technology. I was hanging t-shirts, paintings, and CD's all over the fireplace wherever the flags were sticking out! *L*

Art's show went great, and he performed some of his classics, including the Pollution Blues, I Like My Mother, (In honor of Mother Earth) and wound the show up with Purple Banannas On The Moon.

Art managed to trade a t-shirt and CD for a hand-made banjo from a guy that made banjo's out of tins and recycled materials and wood. It was pretty cool, I thought.

I went up during Art's performance at his request and did Cities On The Edge - a piece about cities on the shores of the Great Lakes and the opportunity they have waiting for them. (You can view my poems on wind at www.whizzyrds.com on the Wind Poetry page)

After a few other acts, it was my turn. The sound man helped out with the background CD, and I launched into USA Wind. I was still just a bit unused to the mike, but I got through it OK and folk took notice. I then gave an excerpted version of my speech on Great Lakes wind energy potential. (Posted earlier in this journal) Afterwards I did one of the most playful and gentle of my wind poems, Zephyr. Everyone really liked that. The soundman (I can't remember his name, shame on me) was kind enough to get up and second my speech. You see, he and his brother are fresh water surfers, and they know a bit about wind on these lakes. It turns out that Sheboygan is the best place in the world for fresh water surfing. The wo of them will be in a documentary film coming out this summer on fresh water surfing, and you can bet I am going to watch the credits so I can correct my faux pau. (Splg?)

I did give the soundman a CD in thanks for all his help, and I traded another one to a friend for some pin on buttons of a political nature. I didn't have a stock of t-shirts with to sell, but people inquired and I directed them online to the website, so we shall see. I gave out several of the post cards that the American Wind Energy Association was kind enough to send. We still have a fair amount left of the flyers and postcards left for Earthfest this August. I didn't sell any CD's either, but that's OK, as long as the message was heard, that's the main point. The whole thing was great fun in my book! Here's hoping we have great weather for the fest in August!

Anway, the food was good, and the people were kind. We made new friends there, and Cathy asked me to come back and do more at Earthfest this August. Art Paul and I will both be there. Hopefully I'll be a bit more practised with this material!
- posted by Daniel @ 2:29 PM

 
A very interesting article about using microorganisms to produce hydrogen in various environments, including from municipal sewage. One of the researchers is in Michigan. From Wired News: Microbes Pass Valuable Gas
- posted by Daniel @ 4:17 AM

 
I think when I get home in the morning I am going to write a more detailed account of the trip Art Paul Schlosser & I made to Sheboygan the weekend before last. I'm running out of time right now, however, e-mail was a bit heavy with real content today so I did a lot of replying for a change - it was nice.
- posted by Daniel @ 6:23 PM

 
I also just contacted the Great Lakes Pollution Prevention Roundtable to advise them of our existence and request they forward any stories or experiences they aren't printing themselves over our way. I want this to be Everyman's renewable energy story for the great Lakes region, so even the time Grampa got stuck on the windmill tower in Indiana back in nineteen hundred aught eight qualifies for a post. (Grampa's often have the BEST stories if you take the time to listen...)

Dan
- posted by Daniel @ 6:19 PM

 
An interesting resource I found with an excellent general description of terrain and wind resources in the Great Lakes region: http://rredc.nrel.gov/wind/pubs/atlas/chp3.html#lake
- posted by Daniel @ 3:38 AM

 
I will try to spend some time today contacting environmental groups and farm cooperatives in the Great Lakes region to let them know we exist. Perhaps some of them will know people with stories to share.
- posted by Daniel @ 12:30 PM

 
Nicely enough we were at my wife's friends house today, whom I hope become my friends. They're a nice couple. Their next door neighbor has an old farm mill, a water pumper out in the back yard. It's now surrounded by tall trees, and has a couple of bent vanes. The pumper shaft is gone, and I think the wellhead may be capped off. I asked if they might know of any stories about it, but the neighbors apparently bought the house with the mill in that condition. The husband did tell me that the thing sometimes turns in heavy winds and ticks against the tree branches brushing against it. A shame it's let go, but so many are now. It used to be used to fill a small man-made pond next to it.
- posted by Daniel @ 2:21 AM