Tilting Toward Windmills


1200343826Months after the mayor announced that his administration was looking into sticking a windmill on City Hall Plaza—to both demonstrate a commitment to renewable energy and make the Plaza an even more baffling place than it already is—word comes back that due to insane-o downtown wind patterns, such a thing is sadly implausible.

But there is good news. According to the consulting firm charged with studying the project, the city will be able to install a “microturbine,” which will provide enough juice to power six computers and desk lamps within the concrete bowels of the ghastly eyesore.

This, they say, is a go.

The best part is that City Hall isn’t even trying to pretend it’s anything other than a show—a lazy, politically motivated foray into green chic.

Environmental aide James Hunt puts it thusly:

“It’s not about the wind power. It’s about the demonstration value. We’re excited to have people coming to City Hall to do their business see such a tangible sign of the city’s commitment to renewable energy.”

Right! People will no doubt thrill at the sight of the big machine that does nothing on top of the bigger building that houses the even bigger machine that does nothing.

This ought to have starving polar bears dancing on their tiny, melting ice floes. While they’re at it, maybe the city can use the pennies a month they save with the microturbine to buy some bumper stickers calling for renewable energy. That way the problem will be completely solved.