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Effects of using fossil fuels on our environment
Wind turbines benefits essay
Wind turbines benefits essay
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Recommended: Effects of using fossil fuels on our environment
Alternative energy is a great foot path for the U.S. to take in finding a new and abundant source of usable energy. Alternative energy is energy that is manifested in methods that do not take away from natural resources or damage the environment, specifically by evading the usage of fossil fuels and nuclear power. Wind power is just one of the many great ways to use an abundant and natural resource to make useable energy. Wind turbines are the central representative in the wind energy harnessing department. Although the costs of producing wind energy harnessing equipment could prove to be steep, the output of the products could make up for the costs. Using wind as a source of alternative energy could guide our nation in the right direction …show more content…
Even though the price of wind power has diminished intensely in the past ten years, the technology and expertise involves an advanced preliminary investment than fuel powered generators. Roughly 80% of the price is the equipment with the cost being balanced between the site groundwork and the installation. If wind power producing systems are matched with fuel driven systems on a lifetime cost basis, wind expenses are considerably more reasonable then other generating machineries because there is no fuel to buy for the wind turbine systems. Additionally, according to Energy.Gov, the predicted long term expenditures of wind power could create a price drop on fuel costs and save customers up to $280 billion dollars by 2050. Moreover, in 2014 the average yearly electricity usage for a U.S. residential utility customer was 10,932 kilowatt-hours, an average of 911 kilowatt-hours per month. The amount of power produced of a wind turbine can be influenced by on the turbine's size and the wind's speed through the rotors. A normal wind turbine can produce more than 6 million kWh in a year which is enough to supply 1,500 average households with electricity. Thus the argument to utilize more wind power harnessing equipment and convert the U.S. to be using alternative energy is a must with the pros tremendously outweighing the
With concern over global warming growing, people are starting to turn a more serious eye toward cleaner sources of energy. Instead of solar power making a comeback as the ideal form, we are seeing a growth in the use of wind power. Wind farms are beginning to crop up all around the country. This new trend has gathered significant attention. Questions are being raised concerning the effects wind farms may have, from critics and supporters alike. Michelle Nijhuis, in the article “Selling the Wind” discusses the arguments on behalf of and in opposition to the increasing use of wind power, addressing what the consequences may be on the United States.
Jerry Rolsten of Mendon, Ohio believes in progress and wants the wind farms to continue going up (Thompson 2). There are many positive viewpoints to the newly developed wind farms. “Wind farms produce no air or water pollution because no fuel is burned. Coal is known to be the dirtiest of all fossil fuels and has been connected with acid rain, as well as air pollution caused by particulates” (Parks 61), but that’s not the only reason wind energy is better than fossil fuel energy. Americans will no longer have to be dependent on the foreign fossil fuels because wind turbines diversify our energy portfolio, and the US will no longer be funding other countries and terrorist groups in the midwest (Engdahl 69).
Some are more efficient than others, and some have more pros to them than cons. Wind power for example, generates electricity through huge spinning turbines. These huge turbines have blades that fit on the back of semis. Most wind turbines have three blades and sit atop a steel tubular tower. Their size ranges from about 80-foot-tall turbines that can power a single home, to utility-scale turbines that power hundreds of homes. Today’s wind turbines are like highly developed windmills.
One major problem with wind energy is its feasibility; capturing wind energy is, to some degree difficult to do. Wind energy is produced by the movement between two air masses, usually influenced by the radiation of solar energy by the earth’s surface (Freedman, 2010). It is very difficult to control the speed, direction and location of winds, thus, making the process highly unpredictable. This creates a problem with the demand-supply relationship. The greatest supply of wind energy occurs overnight when demand is low and dies down during the morning, when demand is high (Spears, 2013). This would commonly result in increase in prices to bring the supply-demand relationship to equilibrium, where the supply is sold at a reasonable price for both consumer and producers (Field, 2008). However, since 2006, Ontario has had a surplus of power, which has led to the government to pay neighboring provinces and states to take it (Canadian Press, 2013; Spears, 2013). In addition, the government has also paid private companies to stop producing power (Canadian Press, 2013; Spears, 2013). These problems have led Ontario to have a larger cost than the benefits from wind power.
The very existence of an individual is founded on the perception of the constructed world around them or in other words what they stand for, their ideology. Good morning/afternoon Ms. Taha and class. Henry Lawson’s 19th century short story, The Drover’s Wife and the poem ‘A man from Snowy River’ by Banjo Patterson utilises distinctively visual tools and literary devices, to magnify the distinctive experiences of isolation. Both composers celebrate Australian values of stoicism, resourcefulness, independence and freedom that grew out of the hardships of life in the bush by covering different perspectives of an individual’s life in the outback.
In chapter thirteen of our book, Environment by Raven and Berg, it shows us just how important renewable energy sources are. Currently the United States of America thrives on the use of fossil fuels and nuclear power. The main problems with these types of fuel are that they are both limited and can be extremely harmful to our environment. They cause global warming, air pollution, acid rain, and oil spills (Environment), and not only that, but in the grand scheme of things, these sources really aren’t even that cheap of a fuel source. There are many alternatives to these all but outdated fuel sources.
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.
The United States currently relies heavily on coal, oil, and natural gas for its energy. While the price of natural gas per barrel continues to plummet, the United States is constantly seeking new sources of renewable energy. Renewable energy consists of any type of natural resource (solar power, ocean power, wind power, rain, snow, etc.) that naturally and automatically replenishes itself. Renewable energy is important because it is infinite and everlasting, meaning our children and our children’s children will be able to utilize these resources long after we are gone. I believe the only way the United States and the world will see a large-scale transition to renewable energy sources is through education. Right now, it seems as though only a few pockets of people throughout the world are aware of the positive benefits of renewable energy sources. Not only is it better and cleaner for our environment, but the industry of renewable energy could also
Reading up information and searching for clues (which were not extremely easy), turns out to have broadened my knowledge on Nature and Biomimicry itself and that there are so many people already using wind turbines to harvest the winds energy and know how the world can be saved. Therefore I have come to the conclusion and have seen that my hypothesis has been proven right.
Winds are caused by the irregular heating of the atmosphere by the sun, the variations of the earth's surface, and rotation of the earth. This wind flow, or kinetic energy, when "harvested" by modern wind turbines, can be used to generate electricity. There is an abundance of wind to meet our needs, “the potential of [the total] wind power [in the world] is. 20 times more than what the entire human population needs” (Maehlum). Currently, wind power is one of the lowest-priced renewable energy technologies available, costing between four and six cents per kilowatt-hour, depending upon the wind resource.
Offshore wind turbines will provide more jobs, cut pollution, stop warming on our planet, and save us energy costs. These wind turbines can generate enough energy offshore to power about 500,000 homes. However, many people disagree with this idea because they believe it is too expensive. Offshore wind turbines have been a topic of discussion for a while now, and people just simply can’t agree. There are the supporters and there are the problem makers, as well as the advantages and disadvantages to this idea.
Secondly, 15% of world electricity comes from wind. In order to have wind energy, it is important to have turbines to get the wind in order to produce electricity. Tall turbines produce more energy. The drawbacks of wind power are that it requires steady wind and its installations may interfere with TVs, cellphones, and other electrical devices. However, it is quickly built and there is no pollution or noise produced.
Wind power is one of the most sustainable ways of generating electricity as no toxic emissions are produced; it does not add to global warming and is one of the most available sources of renewable energy and theoretically it is an infinite source of energy. On sufficiently windy areas, wind turbines are one of the most economical methods of generating electricity, which makes it appealing to many individuals, governments and organizations. Due to this it is the fastest growing source of electricity in the world (Union of Concerned Scientists, 2014) with a 10% increase in yearly additions installed in 2012 compared with 2011 (Global Wind Energy Council, 2012). However the proportion of energy that can be harnessed through wind power is restricted by the cost of the infrastructure needed, construction, the amount of wind that occurs and that there are only a narrow number of sites within the UK that are windy enough for the wind turbines to be worth installing.
Wind is a form of solar energy. The term wind energy describes the process by which the wind is used to generate electricity or mechanical power. Wind turbines convert mechanical energy from the wind into electrical power. Wind turbines usually have three main parts. There are blades that connect to a central hub, a box behind the blades that contains the generator, and a long stem that connects to the ground. The way how it works is that the wind turns the blades, which spins a shaft that connects to a generator making electricity. After the electricity is produced it is sent through transmission lines to a substation that is sent to business and homes. For the sake of our planet, we must promote a renewable energy economy. Wind power can be a foundation of that sustainable energy future because it provides jobs in states that are building wind turbines, is a renewable energy source, and does not damage our environment. The environment will not be damaged by the pollution, the natural resources will not be used up, and there won’t be generating of hazardous wastes. Welcoming wind energy today will lay the foundation for a healthy tomorrow that will affect everyone in the United States. There are obstacles and challenges that will make it more difficult, but the environmental impact is well worth it to invest more money into wind energy.
The Wind Turbine is a device that converts the kinetic energy of the wind into kinetic energy of turbines. The turbines turn to generate electricity but they work only when there is wind. The efficiency is 30-40%. The environmental impacts are needs many large turbines to generate electricity which can be noisy and unsightly. Turbines may endanger birds and bats.