What is wind energy?According to the author, Margot Roosevelt, wind energy is the world’s fastest growing power source. Wind power is the conversion of wind energy into a useful form, such as electricity, by using wind turbines. It is an intermittent form of energy that can be renewed by nature and can’t be exhausted.
Who is using wind energy?
Currently, only 2.2% of the world’s energy comes from renewable energy sources such as wind power. However, wind energy output is growing 30% annually, faster than fuel! Even oil companies are becoming interested in renewable energy. The governments of Denmark, Germany, Spain, Japan, India, and Iceland have all adopted alternative power sources to create their energy. The United States is very dependent on imported oil. Fossil fuels are currently used for 80% of the US energy. The only time the US government has favored wind energy is when oil prices skyrocketed in the 1970s.
Why should we use wind energy?
The author provides two main reasons for utilizing wind energy: global warming and terrorism. Global warming is caused by heat trapping from carbon dioxide, a by-product of burning fossil fuels. Global warming has serious consequences for our planet and threatens to create a disastrous climate. In relation to terrorism, the author conceives a scary scenario: how much easier would it be to crack open the Trans-Alaska pipeline and how much easier would it be to bomb a nuclear plant than to attack a wind farm?
What does the future hold for wind energy?
Experts say that wind could provide about 12% of the word’s electricity in 20 years. That being said, renewable energy has a long way to go. A conversion to renewable energy will not happen without refined technology, lower costs, or political will. The world as a whole needs to consider the price of pollution. The author stresses that the future is more a matter of choice than destiny.
Different viewpoints on wind energy
1. I felt that the author wrote a very biased article about wind energy. She only mentioned the positive aspects and failed to mention any negative aspects of wind energy. I did some online research and found an article entitled, Wind Energy Development Environmental Concerns, from the Wind Energy Development Programmatic EIS website. While wind energy has relatively little impact on our environment, it still raises some environmental concerns. These concerns include noise impact, visual impact, avian/bat mortality, and health/safety considerations.
2. There have been several research studies conducted that are related to wind turbines and their affect on health. Nina Pierpont is a pediatrician who researches a condition called “wind turbine syndrome.” The condition arises when people are exposed to the whooshing sound of industrial wind turbines for long periods of time. Symptoms include migraine headaches, nausea, and insomnia. Pierpont maintains that it is essential for wind farms to be built no less than 1.25 miles away from homes, public meeting places, and highways. We need to find the appropriate locations for these wind farms, which may require the use of valuable, untouched land.
A question for discussion:
Do you think wind power is a reliable and/or practical form of energy? Why or why not?
Posts
4 comments:
For a long time, my dad had worked at Excel Energy in Becker. It's a coal plant that supplies energy to the state... He would come home with coal stuck in his pores, nose and thankfully they enforce wearing mask so employees don't inhale the coal. Workers would be MUCH healthier if they were working with wind rather than coal! :)
I do think that wind power is a reliable resource since wind is pretty prevalent in most areas of the earth. Is it practical as well? I'll answer yes to this question, too. Sure there are some downfalls, such as noise pollution and perhaps some loss of aesthetic beauty (although personally I don't think they are an eyesore), but I think these are outweighed by the benefits. I realize the conversion to this type of energy source will not be quick or simple, but I believe it is worth the investment.
Lauren-
I think that if we can prevent global warming and do it in a safe way we should. It sounds like wind energy is a great way to do that. There seems to be a lot of benefits from using wind energy. It seems like a good idea to me:)
I think that we need to start switching to alternative fuels if we want to maintain the way we live and keep our environment healthy enough to sustain us. I think wind power would be the best way to do it but I don't know enough about it to say for sure, I'll have to check out the websites you posted. Great Post!
Post a Comment