Balsa demand to go down?

[Lyle Spiegel]

I recently read about new wind turbine technology without blades. Hopefully this might reduce use of balsa, improve the supply and reduce price.
Vortex Bladeless Turbine Aims to Reinvent Wind Energy - autoevolution

https://www.autoevolution.com/news/funnily-shaped-vortex-bladeless-turbine-aims-to-reinvent-wind-energy-157827.html

[Dan McEntee]

  Well, without reading too far into it, that is an idea that make some sense.  Those could be put in large cities where wind velocities can accelerate around buildings and such. A lot would depend on the lobbies for the other monstrosities to keep them protected and in operation.
   Type at you later,
   Dan McEntee

[kevin king]

That's good news. Now I don't have to risk making an illegal balsa grow op in my back yard. 😁

[Dennis Toth]

Another thing that will reduce the balsa demand is that many of the new turbine blade designs use a structural foam in place of the cross grain balsa between the two layers of fiberglass skins.

Best,   DennisT

[John Park]

When I first saw this, I imagined the new gadget was simply a Flettner Wing, mounted vertically and being turned by the wind rather than generating lift.  I assume the Flettner Wing has been tried in this context, but I've never seen anything published about it so presumably it's been found wanting in some way.