Wind Energy : We Need A Compromise

According to BP the share of energy used for power generation will rise from 42% which it was in 2015 to 47 % by 2035. (BP 2017) Wind power uses wind turbines which convert kinetic energy into electrical energy. Where is the risk in wind power? The wind turbines could cause bodily harm to humans or to wildlife. Turbines can reach speeds of 200 miles per hour that can create deadly obstacles for birds. (Looper, Lance 2017) Bird populations could be in harm due to the danger of the turbines turning in rotation, especially at night when these turbines would not be visible. With the government giving subsidies and incentives to get farm plants built, the price may be decreasing in producing energy, but the upfront cost of having them built and installed is in the millions. This is the biggest risk in wind farms is the cost compared to the energy that will be

These examples suggest that wind power will be used in ways that correspond to each needed capacity and purpose. In the article “Wind Energy: An Untapped Resource,” the Wind Energy Association estimates the potential amount of wind power generation capacity in the U.S.A. at 10,777 billion kW/h, which is three times the electricity generated in the U.S.A. today. However, it also predicts that we are unlikely ever to use even half of that potential. In fact, in 2000, the U.S.A. was using less than 1% of that potential! This is because wind power is not always the superior method, and there are some problems still to be solved.

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.

Imagine getting free electricity, or electrical company’s paying you instead of you paying them, today’s windmills just might make this possible. Windmills dating back as far as the 1400’s have been used to turn wind into useable energy for grinding and pumping. Today’s windmills turn turbines to make electricity. They are popping up all over the United States, but the United States is way behind other countries in the development of wind energy. Countries like Denmark, Germany and the United Kingdom are investing billions of dollars into wind energy, including off shore wind farms. Germany is holding the top spot in the production of wind-generated electricity. Denmark, being one of the smaller countries in Europe, produces twenty percent

Everyone can agree climate change is real but not everyone agrees whether it is an issue that needs solving. One side of the argument states that the rate of climate change is worrying and that this is caused by the mass burning of fossil fuels. Whatever a person 's stance on the topic is they both agree that mass use of fossil fuels are unsustainable. Research into renewable energy sources has been done at exponential rates every year. This research has led to the argument of which renewable source is the most effective. Two lead candidates for this spot is Wind and Hydropower. Each one of these sources has trade-offs when it comes to reliability, energy output, and environmental impact but both energy sources would work better together.

People all around the world believe that wind power would be more efficient than burning fossil fuels, however; it causes more problems than what most people know. As H. Sterling Burnett begins in his article Wind Power Puffery, he states, "But is tis assertion correct? No, the truth is wind power's environmental benefits are usually overstated, while its significant environmental harms are often ignored" (Burnett 247). Having wind power may have little benefits, however; people fail to realize that they are not as great as the seem. Often throughout the article Burnett would talk about the wind turbines and how they were a problem for not only migrating birds and bats but the amount of land they consume as well. At night the bats fail to see

Just as there are positive benefits from utilizing this renewable source, there are also some key disadvantages associated with wind energy generation which should be considered. Firstly, the effect of visual impacts depends not only upon the outward appearance of the turbines, but also the individual's personal attitudes to their presence (G.M Shafiullah, 2012). Similarly, a study conducted by Gourlay (2008) showed that the majority of the UK population (approximately 70%) had displayed a positive outlook

In “Wind Power is Now Cheaper Than Nuclear - the Energy Revolution is Happening”, John Sauven analyzes the benefits of offshore wind energy. Alongside bringing in more investments from external nations, switching to offshore wind power will establish more jobs. Sauven compares the cost of nuclear power to the cost of offshore wind power; wind power naturally being cheaper and better for the environment. Sauven articulates that many nations and organisms will benefit from the offshore wind power finance.

H. Sterling Burnett's essay, "Wind Power Puffery," looks at the supposed beneficial alternative to burning fossil fuels: wind power. Many environmentalists view wind power as a resourceful way to reduce pollution and greenhouse gasses despite the costly methods. However, the negative aspects of wind farms override the ideal environmental benefits wind power can provide. Wind power is not only expensive, but it is limited, unsightly, and the turbines are killing native birds and bats. Contrary to the belief that wind power improves air pollution, the turbines work only when there is a certain range of wind. Too little wind produces no energy and too much wind causes a potential for the towers to blow down.

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)

The graph above shows the price of wind energy was continuing decrease. The European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) expects it will drop to 2 cents in 2020

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.

Fossil fuels are having great impacts toward nature such as global warming and greenhouse effect. Plus, the depletion of it contributes to the rising price of petroleum. Therefore, wind power rise as it is a source of clean, non-polluting renewable energy (Nash, 2008). This type of energy generation provides us with loads of benefits environmentally and economically.

Everyday we sit and work with our laptop, watch TV, play with tablets, use the coffee machine, use the lights, etc. Electrical appliances and devices exist today in very large numbers and will keep on growing at a very fast rate. In order to meet demands for electrical power, fossil fuels have been the main force of producing electricity ever since the industrial age. As effective as fossil fuel is, it will not last forever due to the fast rate of consumption and increasing electricity demand. As supplies of fossil fuel dwindle, it has become clear that renewable energy will become the primary source of global energy. Of all renewable energy sources that are available, wind energy stands at the top. We had use wind to do work for us

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