Which way the wind blows

Ever been curious exactly what kind of force would be necessary to destroy a wind turbine? Well, luckily for you (and not for the owner of this turbine), now we get to see.

During periods of ultra-high winds, turbines have to be protected. They either rotate the angle of the blades so they pick up less of the wind, or they stop themselves completely and turn parallel with the wind. If the brakes fail, as it were, then the results can be quite spectacular.

During a storm in Hornslet, Denmark, this turbine's brakes failed to engage, and the turbine continued to capture the maximum amount of energy. As the turbine continued to accelerate, the G-forces were apparently too much, one of the blades splintered, and the resulting loss of balance completely destroyed all of the other blades and the tower.

If you've ever wondered "how could wind possibly contain enough energy to power our world?" here's the answer.