Wind Energy, Blowing Your Mind
by Alexis Trautman
At the moment the pressure of obtaining natural resources is persistent. Political leaders and scientists are searching for the next resources to use, resources that will not have a chance to diminish like the ones used previously. Over the decades, scientists have found a source that is the most efficient and renewable: wind energy. Though wind energy could be an aid in reducing the environmental resource crisis, there is a negative side to this rather remarkable solution.
The positives to the idea that energy would become increasingly sustainable and renewable. There is no limit on renewable resources. Additionally in terms of renewable resources, wind is the most abundant in the United States. These wind turbines would reduce the greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere. By the use of such wind turbines the electrical cost could be reduced. With the current economy, having the cost of electricity be reduced is a selling point for homeowners and companies to invest in wind. A majority of any country would benefit from wind because the gross domestic product (GDP), would rise. The gross domestic product is the value of finished goods and services in a country over a specific period of time.
Though many of these concepts seem ideal for any country with natural wind, there are some negative components as well. Naturally wind is unpredictable and some places in a country would not have a sufficient amount of wind in order to create the energy that is so desperately needed. Another problem is the blades of the turbines. Birds migrating or traveling in a flight path have been reportedly killed by flying into the blades. Depending on the location these turbines are placed, thousands of birds could be killed. Thus disturbing ecosystems and food chains. Finally, wind turbines can be damaged during severe weather storms. The maintenance cost to repair the turbines could cost thousands of dollars that a country may not be able to afford to spend.
There are countries have begun to place wind turbines in specific areas of the country. These locations have upset the local citizens. The most recent ordeal was documented on September 13, 2014 in Heligoland, Germany. The German government decided to place wind turbines about sixty miles from the shore of the island of Heligoland. These wind turbines cost up to thirty million dollars a turbine and can be up to sixty stories high, thus obstructing the natural sea and land views from the island.
There are positives to having Germany use such renewable sources such as wind energy. This energy transformation as a solution to aid in the reduction of global warming and the German economy has since have been raised. Many construction workers have been employed to aid in building these wind turbines, making the German unemployment rate decrease. The average German worker on these wind turbines now has the money to supply for their families. These workers not only are employed from all throughout Germany but in other neighboring European countries as well. Moreover, once the wind turbine project is completed there will be enough electricity generated to power hundreds of thousands of homes in Germany.
Despite the positive effects of the construction of the wind turbines, there are also negatives that coexist with the positives. The island of Heligoland’s main income prior to the wind turbine construction was tourism. Since the start of the construction, tourism on Heligoland has halted . Thus causing a larger problem for the locals who live on the island. The local’s income was dependent on tourism, they are now in dire financial straits. Many of these locals can no longer afford to live on the island.
Despite the ideals of the use of renewable energy, such as the development of wind turbines, there continues to be greater problems that arise. The use of sustainable resources will be a challenge within the next few decades, with the urge to save the environment.
[Photo, Wind -turbines, by Sparky licensed by CC BY-NC 2.0]
by Alexis Trautman
At the moment the pressure of obtaining natural resources is persistent. Political leaders and scientists are searching for the next resources to use, resources that will not have a chance to diminish like the ones used previously. Over the decades, scientists have found a source that is the most efficient and renewable: wind energy. Though wind energy could be an aid in reducing the environmental resource crisis, there is a negative side to this rather remarkable solution.
The positives to the idea that energy would become increasingly sustainable and renewable. There is no limit on renewable resources. Additionally in terms of renewable resources, wind is the most abundant in the United States. These wind turbines would reduce the greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere. By the use of such wind turbines the electrical cost could be reduced. With the current economy, having the cost of electricity be reduced is a selling point for homeowners and companies to invest in wind. A majority of any country would benefit from wind because the gross domestic product (GDP), would rise. The gross domestic product is the value of finished goods and services in a country over a specific period of time.
Though many of these concepts seem ideal for any country with natural wind, there are some negative components as well. Naturally wind is unpredictable and some places in a country would not have a sufficient amount of wind in order to create the energy that is so desperately needed. Another problem is the blades of the turbines. Birds migrating or traveling in a flight path have been reportedly killed by flying into the blades. Depending on the location these turbines are placed, thousands of birds could be killed. Thus disturbing ecosystems and food chains. Finally, wind turbines can be damaged during severe weather storms. The maintenance cost to repair the turbines could cost thousands of dollars that a country may not be able to afford to spend.
There are countries have begun to place wind turbines in specific areas of the country. These locations have upset the local citizens. The most recent ordeal was documented on September 13, 2014 in Heligoland, Germany. The German government decided to place wind turbines about sixty miles from the shore of the island of Heligoland. These wind turbines cost up to thirty million dollars a turbine and can be up to sixty stories high, thus obstructing the natural sea and land views from the island.
There are positives to having Germany use such renewable sources such as wind energy. This energy transformation as a solution to aid in the reduction of global warming and the German economy has since have been raised. Many construction workers have been employed to aid in building these wind turbines, making the German unemployment rate decrease. The average German worker on these wind turbines now has the money to supply for their families. These workers not only are employed from all throughout Germany but in other neighboring European countries as well. Moreover, once the wind turbine project is completed there will be enough electricity generated to power hundreds of thousands of homes in Germany.
Despite the positive effects of the construction of the wind turbines, there are also negatives that coexist with the positives. The island of Heligoland’s main income prior to the wind turbine construction was tourism. Since the start of the construction, tourism on Heligoland has halted . Thus causing a larger problem for the locals who live on the island. The local’s income was dependent on tourism, they are now in dire financial straits. Many of these locals can no longer afford to live on the island.
Despite the ideals of the use of renewable energy, such as the development of wind turbines, there continues to be greater problems that arise. The use of sustainable resources will be a challenge within the next few decades, with the urge to save the environment.
[Photo, Wind -turbines, by Sparky licensed by CC BY-NC 2.0]