01:00 AM EST on Wednesday, February 9, 2005

The president's budget would cut much Navy work at such New England shipbuilders as those at Quonset Point; Groton, Conn.; and Bath, Maine. Even the most "anti-war" politicians from our region would yelp!

But other industries could take great advantage of the skills of shipyard workers. For instance, much of the gear for coastal wind turbines could be made, repaired and shipped by them. Metalworking, electrical work, and so on are highly adaptable to the production of wind farms.

Thus many of our currently best-paid workers could keep working -- and could help develop an industry that would boost New England, by giving it some energy independence and cutting its energy prices. From swords to . . . windmills?