Wouldn't the Earth's gravity affect the air inside the tube the same way it affects the tube? If so, the air inside the tube would remain stationary to the rotation of the Earth.

It occurs to me that if gravity didn't affect air not only would we have a constant east to west wind (we don't) but air would simply float off into space (making breathing kinda difficult).

Maybe yes deep dudes. Turn the pipe on its end and push it 24 miles straight down. Now there's a real source of power.

The problem with converting the Earths rotation into power is that you don't get something for nothing. If you do come up with a successful device, to conserve energy, the Earth's rotation must slow down.

If anything, we need to speed the Earth up because it presently continues to slow down.

I don't think this is feasable. The only feasable way i can come up with to make electricity out of the rotation of the earth is by having an electricity cable encircle the earth while floating in space, and moves in the opposite direction of the earth.Because of the earths' magnetic field electricity would be generated in the cable.. LOTS of it.Only problem is.. how to get it down to earth?And, worse still, you'd be taking away energy from the rotation of the earth.. which would slow it down ;)