# Can cutting down several trees make the earth spin faster? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 8, 2003, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-cutting-down-several-trees-make-the-earth-spin-faster/167399 "2003-04-08T21:22:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 2\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![threephi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/85f322/32.png) [@threephi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/threephi)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2003, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-cutting-down-several-trees-make-the-earth-spin-faster/167399/21 "2003-04-09T16:46:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by DMark \* > \*\*Can cutting down several trees make the earth spin faster? > > Yes, just as removing a hair from your arm will allow you to run faster! \*\* [nitpick] Actually, DMark, I believe it has been shown that a very slight amount of surface turbulance is aerodynamically beneficial to a runner, so shaving your arms might actually slow you down! [/nitpick] ---
**Author:** ![eburacum45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eburacum45/32/8690_2.png) [@eburacum45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eburacum45)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2003, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-cutting-down-several-trees-make-the-earth-spin-faster/167399/22 "2003-04-09T17:05:29Z")
[Hijack!] What about wind driven electrical generators? If we covered the surface of the land and the oceans with these things to generate electricity, would they affect the rotation of the earth? er- For a start, they would act like trees, and distribute the weight of the earth a little outwards, thereby slowing it down by a few picoseconds, but how about the energy they extract? Where does it come from? Where does it go? [/Hijack!] * * * Sci-fi worldbuilding at [http://www.orionsarm.com/](http://www.orionsarm.com/) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-cutting-down-several-trees-make-the-earth-spin-faster/167399.md?page=1)