The over-consumption of energy used
around the globe has, and is, taking a huge toll on the health of our planet.
There are many new products being created and used to find Earth-friendly ways
to produce energy. Wind turbines are just one of the many inventions to help
with finding Earth-friendly energy sources.
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Long before wind turbines were
used, people were using windmills. Windmills used wind power to pump water, grind
grain, and help perform many other difficult tasks. Today, wind power has even
more benefits. It is a clean fuel source and doesn’t pollute the air, unlike
power plants. This means less smog, fewer greenhouse gas emissions, and less
acid rain. Additionally, wind energy will not pollute our drinking water. Because
wind energy uses no fuel, they are also very inexpensive to operate. Wind
energy also benefits the U.S. economy by employing more than 70,000 people.
Rural communities also benefit by leasing land to private investors of wind
production.
Wind turbines work similarly to
fans, but they use the wind as energy instead of just blowing air. Wind causes
the blades to rotate, which then spins a shaft. That shaft is connected to a
generator which then makes electricity. Groups of wind turbines are called wind
farms, and work together to deliver electricity to power grids. From the power
grid, the electricity is then transmitted to where it is needed.
There are many things that must be
considered when determining where you can build wind turbines. Developers must
consider the best places to attain adequate wind, and they must have land
rights, permits, financing, and buyers for the wind power that will eventually
be created. For wind turbines to work, wind of at least 11 miles per hour is
required.
Unfortunately, there is also a
negative to wind turbines: they can be harmful to wildlife. Studies have been
done to see how birds and bats are harmed by the propellers on the moving turbines.
The “Maple Ridge” facility in New York performed a study in 2006 which
estimated that 2,000 to 3,000 birds and bats were killed by their wind turbines
over a five month period.
We have a very strong wind resource
here in the United States. In fact, the wind energy potential is approximately
10 times the amount of our country’s electricity consumption. However, only
about 4 percent of the United States’ electricity is currently generated from
wind power. About 48,000 wind turbines were being operated across 39 states
here in America by the end of 2014. This same year, enough electricity from
wind turbines was generated to power 16.7 million American households. To give
you an idea, this would be equivalent to all the homes in Colorado, Idaho,
Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South
Dakota put together.
Wind turbines create countless
benefits to our planet and assist in the creation of new energy. By continuing
the use of these wind turbines, and by building more of them around the planet,
we can create more energy than ever before. But most importantly, we can attain
this energy in an environmentally conscious way.
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