The Pros and Cons of Wind Energy Essay

Wind energy is clean and renewable. The wind is never going to stop blowing; therefore, there will always be enough to keep the turbines going. While some areas may have more wind than others, there is always wind. Wind turbines do not produce any pollution or waste, making them one of the cleanest energy sources on the planet. However, environmentalists are concerned that with the increase of wind turbines, bird populations with decrease because they are getting hit by the wind turbines and dying. Because of the huge poles in the ground, turbines can cause erosion and disrupt wildlife habitats. Wind turbines are also huge; at 30 meters (100 feet) above the ground, with large spinning blades, they can be a bit of an eyesore. They are also loud and have a deep buffeting sound. But the idea is that the large wind farms will be located in the middle of nowhere so they don’t cause an issue in suburban areas. Small wind turbines may be located in backyards to feed houses directly, but these would be so small that they wouldn’t bother any

Wind power is clean, safe and has become more affordable with production of more powered wind plants. The benefits of having wind power plants available to us is becoming alarming due to the low-carbon emission source and being able to reduce the amount of carbon produced in the world each day. With technology evolving and improving, the cost has been decreasing as the market for wind power has increased. As for wind power being a clean energy source, policies are put into place to make sure we use the wind farms correctly and safely.

Wind energy utilizes the energy of the wind that gust across our country, most overlook the benefits and capabilities of wind, and what it can do for us. The Midwest is prime production area for wind energy but constraints with laws and zoning is preventing towers from being constructed across the united states. In 2016, 29% of greenhouse gasses emitted into the atmosphere is responsible by coal burning electrical production plants. Greenhouse gasses are responsible for climate change, and the melting of the glaciers of Canada and Greenway. But renewable energy is still only 14.9% of the total electricity produced in the United States according to US EIA.

A substantial amount of wind power’s appeal exists in the low amount of environmental impact it has; wind turbines do not produce atmospheric emissions that cause acid rain or greenhouse gasses. If only twenty percent of the nation’s electricity came from wind power, one third of emissions that come from power plants could be eliminated. This fact is potent with worry over global warming still high.

Unlike its sister energy supply, fossil fuels, wind power is a clean resource. Wind turbines don’t pollute the air like power plants, which rely on the burning of coal or natural gas. They’re free from producing atmospheric emissions that cause acid rain or greenhouse gases.

One of the great parts about wind energy is that it has a large amount of positives to the environment and hardly any negative effects. Because wind energy uses the wind for the energy there is no emissions generated from the energy produced. It is estimated that the use of one million kWh of wind power can save around 600 tons of carbon dioxide emissions (Saidur, Rahim, Islam, & Solangi, 2011). Therefore, it is easy to see that the widespread use of wind power can help mitigate climate change. This is critical to help stop climate change and the United States is uniquely positioned to be the leader in curbing climate. When the United States starts heavily investing in alternative energy sources other countries will likely follow suit, which will be key to reducing global emissions.

In recent years, China has surpassed the United States for wind energy production. Due to this, many believe that at this rate, it seems that they will dominate and revolutionize the future of the wind energy industry. In the past couple of years, the United States has been the leader in wind energy production. However, in 2011, China surpassed the United States, and is expected to dominate wind energy in the future due to its many positive aspects and various benefits. Although many people support the idea of wind energy in China, they often question to which category this form of energy belongs to, and what it actually is. Wind falls under the category of green energy, which is usually defined as energy that can be produced in a way that protects the natural environment. Wind energy has many reasons that makes it an ideal source of energy because they are clean, efficient, and endless forms of energy. However, some are against this form of energy because the turbines can be a threat to wildlife, and can disrupt neighboring communities. Even though people may think that wind power has a bad influence on communities and habitats, it is beneficial because it creates less pollution, produces a large amount of energy, and helps create various business and political opportunities.

Wind energy can play a critical role in saving our planet from the negative effects of energy powered by fossil fuels. Wind turbines work effectively at reducing carbon dioxide emissions. For instance, a single utility scale wind turbine can prevent the emission of 5,000 tons of CO2 into the atmosphere a year by displacing the power generated by fossil fuels. Also, a single 750-kilowatt turbine can produce roughly 2 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually. Turbines of this nature are the ones now being used in power plants around the world (Wind Energy Weekly). One good example is California. Their wind power plants displace 4.5 billion pounds of CO2 each year with the 3 billion

According to H. Sterling Burnett, wind power is not as efficient and environmentally friendly as others describe it. Burnett uses many facts to support his idea that wind turbines harm the environment and do not reduce the need for power plants. As well as being noisy and “land-intensive,” Burnett explains that turbines can only operate during certain wind speeds, so as not to harm the rotors (Burnett 247). When wind turbines are not producing electricity, power plants are needed to produce the energy deficit; therefore, power plants must run continuously regardless of wind turbine output. He also states that wind turbines require significantly more land than a power plant, and they only produce a fraction of the energy (247). As well as more

Wind Turbines and wind energy have been proven to be helpful, in the fact that it is a renewable resource. There is always a downside to something good, even with something that seems perfect. There are a few downsides to wind turbines themselves, some being environmental problems. I expected

One other environmental factor regarding wind turbines, especially the wind farms, is that “erecting and maintaining wind turbines can also necessitate clearing land: ridgeline installations often require a fair amount of deforestation, and then there's the associated clearing for access roads, maintenance facilities, and the like”. (7) Although we are trying to help the environment by creating a safer and cleaner source of energy, the actions of clearing our forests, and whatever ecosystem that lived in that forest, in order to save the environment appears to be an oxymoron. “But there are also now a great many turbines situated on farmland, where the fields around their bases are still actively farmed”. (8)

We are facing an energy crisis on Earth. Burning fossil fuels are harming the atmosphere; this global warming and affects produces chemicals that hurt our body. People are starting to think about using alternative energy. Wind power would be our first choice, because it’s clean, inexhaustible and renewable. Today, wind power is mainly used in Europe. We believed wind power would be the main source of alternative energy for world use.

Wind Energy is a viable industry that has become a valuable energy source. The energy generated from wind is clean and efficient. The wind energy industry helps to ensure that electric demands are met, wildlife impact is minimal, the environment is not devastated, as well as creates new jobs during the construction of wind farms, daily operations, manufacturing components, and exporting components to foreign countries.

On the environmental aspect, wind energy does not contribute to pollution as almost no waste materials that contribute to pollution are produced by the usage of wind power (Wright, 2005). For example, in the States, wind plants compensate the emission of than 2.5 billion pounds of carbon dioxide and 15 million pounds of other

sources produce, namely pollution, through the formation of CO2, heat, and other waste materials. Once factors such as health problems, global warming, destruction of wilderness and such come into play, wind energy becomes a very