Global Warming Freaky Weather Greenhouse Gases
These are some of the words we hear everyday. Things haven’t changed much if today’s news was anything. This morning May 5, 2018, I read an article that we crossed a threshold yet again in greenhouse gas emissions.. Carbon Dioxide emission has gone up (pun!). I thought today is as good a day as any to talk about alternative forms of energy. So back to school it is for a talk on renewable energy…
The Power of the Wind at Your Fingertips!
Climate Change, Global Warming, Super Hurricanes, Deluge, Floods, Droughts, and Extinction of species – these are all headlines that even the most laid-back person has seen. As we humans dominate the earth, we have been leaving a pretty big trail of destruction behind us. The discovery of fossil fuels and its uses has spun us closer and closer to making the earth uninhabitable. We do need energy to fuel our homes’ heating/cooling systems, to drive our automobiles, in manufacturing and so many other fields.
Not at the cost of the Earth.
We urgently need alternative sources of energy and we’re all scrambling to find the best ones. Effective renewable energy sources must be found and used urgently to save our world.
What are the alternatives to burning fossil fuels like coal, gas, and oil? Let’s take a look at what are our sources of renewable energy:
1. Solar Power- and solar-powered water
2. Wind
3. Water – both Hydral and Tidal
4. Geothermal
How can the wind help us?
We use the movement of the wind in areas where wind speed is high enough to create energy. The most famous ones are the windmills of Holland of course. Think of the advantages and disadvantages of wind power – it’s been used since ancient times. We harness the wind with windmills, wind turbines, or sails (on a boat). You may have seen wind turbines scattered on the horizon in a lot of places recently. These are wind farms that create clean energy when the blades turn in the wind. These giant blades gently cut through the air turning mechanical turbines without polluting the atmosphere by burning greenhouse gases and releasing carbon. Electrical generators produce electricity when the turbine moves. Remember you get clean energy from a renewable source and it’s all free! The cost is in the manufacture and setting up of the windmill unit.
Sounds great, doesn’t it? Well, there are both advantages and disadvantages of wind power. Let’s take a look at the major ones:
The Advantages of Wind Power:
• The space around windmills can continue to be used for farming, breeding, or grazing.
• There’s no pollution produced, it is a clean energy.
• There’s enough wind for everyone all the time, we’re not going to have a short supply.
• It’s free; you only pay for the wind generating equipment.
• If you live in a remote place a wind turbine can give you electricity.
What are the disadvantages of Wind Power?
• The cost of setting up a windmill is high, compared to cheaper fossil fuels.
• A large wind farm isn’t really pleasing to the eye.
• Though there is plenty of wind, it’s not available in the same place all the time. But it is available somewhere on the earth.
• You need to set it up in remote locations so costs may escalate.
• The wind turbine can harm migratory birds, which unknowingly get hit by the blades.
Conclusion:
If you are thinking of creating a renewable energy source – think wind power. There are some advantages and disadvantages of wind power, but on the whole, it’s a clean, renewable energy, available for free. As long as we have the sun heating the surface of the earth unevenly, the wind will be available. You need to plan exactly where and what position your wind turbine must be. Contact local authorities or a reputed wind turbine manufacturer or seller to get accurate data for your area. Save the earth, think clean energy.
There are so many other things we can do to save the planet, one of which is to say no to plastic.
Are you ready to do your bit?
Lesson over. But lesson learned?
