Comment Today, renewable resources produce only 7% of the world's energy. However, with the rising prices of the disappearing oil, there is a pressing need to incorporate the use of renewable resources within the economy. Carl Bass, the president and CEO of Autodesk once stated, "Sustainable energy solutions are not only possible and economically sensible, but vital to our survival". Together with further research, wind energy is rapidly becoming one of the implemented alternative energy sources across the world, and should be vastly integrated in America's economy as well.
Wind power is the fastest growing energy resource in the world. It has the potential to produce 1.5 times the amount of America's energy demand alone. However, less than .5% of energy today is produced by wind. There should be a focus to change this, due to the many advantages of wind energy. The most well known asset of the use of wind turbines is that wind is renewable. It doesn't present the obstacle of running out, as opposed to the petroleum industry. Wind is simply the movement of air due to the uneven heating of earth's surface by the sun. It is not contained in underground stores that have the potential of being used up entirely. Another recognized asset of wind energy is that it is a sustainable technology. It produces one of the lowest carbon footprints, with nearly all of the emissions occurring during the manufacturing and construction phases. The only other commonly applied energy source that has a lesser carbon footprint than wind energy is nuclear power.
A very common argument against wind power is for the concern of the birds that are killed by the turbines. However, it must be taken into consideration that current power technologies are affecting the species populations as well, such as pollution from the burning of coal or gasoline. Furthermore, birds are said to collide with a turbine only once every 8-15 years, with higher numbers in more concentrated areas. According to a Kenetech Windpower study, each year 57 million birds die in collisions with vehicles, 1.25 million in collisions with tall structures, and 97.5 million in collisions with glass.
However, a pressing disadvantage to the use of wind turbines is that wind is unpredictable and not available in all corners of the world. There are places were energy produced by wind turbines is improbable. In areas where there is a large amount of wind power needed, it may be necessary to implement more than one source of energy other than wind. Nevertheless, the amount of global wind power has been steadily rising, shown in the following graph.
It must also be taken into consideration that the areas that hold the highest potential for gaining the optimum wind speeds may not be located near the populous civilizations that require the power. If this is the case, more time, effort, and money are needed to transfer the energy to a place where it will be used most.
Yet there is still a success story within the United Stated. In the farmlands of Minnesota, wind farms have been taking hold, and are producing electricity for thousands of homes year round. The most appealing aspect of these wind farms are that more than 25% of the wind energy now installed in Minnesota is locally owned. It is 5-10 times more valuable for the community to own these wind farms because local contractors are brought in to construct the farms. This is extremely beneficial, seeing as how 75 million dollars a year are paid to foreign companies because they own the wind farms. Why pay these foreign companies the large sum of money when it could just as easily stay within the local economy?
Another advantage to the locally owned wind farms that further supports the local economy is that the upkeep of the turbines creates jobs as well. In addition to maintenance, Minnesota has created hundreds of jobs for locals by opening a company within the town that constructs the pieces for the turbines. They run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, produced around 300 jobs- a fairly large number for a small community. If Minnesota was able to produce such a success story, it only makes sense that other communities can do the same. Not only is it an implementation of a sustainable energy, but the use of wind farms also stimulates the local economy.
In conclusion, the benefits of wind energy easily outweigh the disadvantages. It is a sustainable practice with a nearly non-existent carbon footprint. With the current economy choking on the use of oil, and the environment being damaged by the use of these fossil fuels, it only makes sense to make the widespread switch over to wind energy. The cost has decreased dramatically, and it also has the potential to be completely run by the country where the wind farms are located- there is no need for foreign debate regarding energy. There is a great need to integrate sustainable energies into the economy, and the time to do so is now.
Kayla Weiser
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