Wind Power
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- Date Submitted: 08/22/2011 12:33 PM
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Is Wind Power Green?
As the ecosystems of the world are inching closer and closer to the danger zone and global warming in becoming more of a concern, there needs to be major changes in order to protect the ecosystems of the world. The United States and other country are trying to help the ecosystems by reducing their reliance on fossil fuels, such as oil and coal for energy. There are various greener technologies, such as solar, ethanol, and geothermal power that are in the picture. However, they are no match to the clean power of the wind.
The power of the wind has been used for centuries. This power has been used to move boats across the water and operate windmills that were used to grind grain or draw up water. According to Kate Galbraith, “Since the mid-to late 1800’s, rural Texans had been ordering windmills out of catalogs, and it was these iconic creaky contraptions – first wooden and then steel – that sped the settlement of the Great Plains by pumping water up from the aquifers, enabling ranchers to keep cattle and the railroads to make steam.” (Texas Monthly, Aug 2011) In the 19th century the first windmills were used for electricity production. These windmills or wind turbines as they are called were used to generate electricity on farms in the United States around the 1930s.
Currently the United States in lagging behind other counties when it comes to the use of wind power to generate electricity. Wind energy is very popular in many countries as a form of green energy. Denmark, Portugal and Spain lead the way with power generated by wind power. According to Turk the worldwide generating capacity of wind turbines has reached nearly 60,000 MW in 2005. He also states that “Spain has 10,000 MW of wind capacity, Denmark has 3,000 MW.” (Turk, 2011) The United States has increased its wind power in the last five years to a total of 9,100 MW in 2005. These countries while leading the way wind powered energy their greenhouse gas emissions are also...
As the ecosystems of the world are inching closer and closer to the danger zone and global warming in becoming more of a concern, there needs to be major changes in order to protect the ecosystems of the world. The United States and other country are trying to help the ecosystems by reducing their reliance on fossil fuels, such as oil and coal for energy. There are various greener technologies, such as solar, ethanol, and geothermal power that are in the picture. However, they are no match to the clean power of the wind.
The power of the wind has been used for centuries. This power has been used to move boats across the water and operate windmills that were used to grind grain or draw up water. According to Kate Galbraith, “Since the mid-to late 1800’s, rural Texans had been ordering windmills out of catalogs, and it was these iconic creaky contraptions – first wooden and then steel – that sped the settlement of the Great Plains by pumping water up from the aquifers, enabling ranchers to keep cattle and the railroads to make steam.” (Texas Monthly, Aug 2011) In the 19th century the first windmills were used for electricity production. These windmills or wind turbines as they are called were used to generate electricity on farms in the United States around the 1930s.
Currently the United States in lagging behind other counties when it comes to the use of wind power to generate electricity. Wind energy is very popular in many countries as a form of green energy. Denmark, Portugal and Spain lead the way with power generated by wind power. According to Turk the worldwide generating capacity of wind turbines has reached nearly 60,000 MW in 2005. He also states that “Spain has 10,000 MW of wind capacity, Denmark has 3,000 MW.” (Turk, 2011) The United States has increased its wind power in the last five years to a total of 9,100 MW in 2005. These countries while leading the way wind powered energy their greenhouse gas emissions are also...