China Leads The Way In Renewable Wind Energy

[lib2DaBone]

No one needs a job in America... Everything is fine... I can understand why our CONgress would let China grab the Green Energy Market.

GM will close all its plants this summer.... of course, it would make no sense to use these plants to make wind turbines? Sorry, bad idea.

OPEC OIL is killing America... so I guess it makes no sense to have alternative energy. Got to keep us tethered to that oil nozzle.

Too bad we lack leaders with a vision or a plan... business as usual.. bail out the Banks...

http://uk.reuters.com/article/oilRpt/idUKPEK33615120090420

[drm604]

1. I don't think it's that simple to just make wind turbines in an auto plant for a few months.

It would probably take a complete retooling. After which the plants would no longer be suitable for making cars, without another retooling.

[lib2DaBone]

2. You are correct about that.. but it all starts with a vision....

unemployment last month 640K.. that's getting very close to a million jobs a month lost.

It seems as though we have alternatives... but no one can see the possibility.

Millions of unemployed.. yet new jobs go to China.. once again....

Meet the new boss.. same as the old boss...

[salguine]

3. So retool. What's so hard about that? You can just tell the automakers,

do you want to retool and make something new, or do you want to die? Grab the lifeline, or drown out of spite?

It's not like there's no precedent for this. During World War II, General Motors built torpedo planes for the Navy, Ford built Sherman tanks, the Bally game company made parachutes, and my grandfather had an M1 carbine made by the Rock-Ola company, which, before the war, made jukeboxes. They switched because the times necessitated it.

[lib2DaBone]

6. Funny you mentioned that........

I once had a .30 Cal Carbine made by the underwood typewriter Corporation.

Anything is possible. Necessity is the mother of invention?

[salguine]

7. IBM and National Postal Meter (and others) used to make 'em too.

[drm604]

8. The OP was talking about making wind turbines during this summer's closure of a few months.

At least that was the impression I got. It would probably take those few months just to retool.

I don't understand where you saw any "spite" in my post.

[salguine]

10. If it takes those few months to retool, then they should take those months

and retool. Those months are going to pass whether they live or die. They might as well live.

I didn't see any spite in your post. I was referring to the automakers. They've grown so used to having everything handed to them, and to having the deck stacked in their favor precisely so they don't have to keep up with the times. They're so averse to change that it seems they'd rather slide into oblivion than adapt. That's spiteful on their part.

[drm604]

11. But my understanding is that the closures are temporary for a few months.

By the time they finish retooling, they may be ready to start making cars again. If they're going to stop making cars for a few years or permanently, then of course they should retool; but if the closures are only for a few months then it makes no sense to retool then turn around and have to immediately retool back to making autos.

[salguine]

12. Why can't they build wind turbines AND cars? General Electric makes

jet engines AND household refrigerators.

[imdjh]

4. Somebody would pitch a fit if we had windfarms like that.

Either they would bitch about the view, or the seabirds, or the vibration making the oysters horny, or something.

[lib2DaBone]

5. I agree..people would bitch... but compared to $5 gallon gasoline?

[Hannah Bell]

9. somebody in the wind biz was just telling me there's no us corps making turbines -

not so many in the world, either - spain was the one i remember him talking about.

the tech isn't that complicated - seems like a no-brainer.