Wind Turbines for Sustainable Energy

by Sophie Slaughter

The most popular power sources in the United States are coal, natural gases and other fossil fuels. These not only are non-renewable resources, but they also hurt the environment through pollutants. One alternative source of energy is wind energy. Enormous wind turbines placed on wind farms convert the kinetic energy of wind into mechanical energy or electricity. 


In 2016, about 5.5% of power in the US came from wind farms. The year before the national percentage was 4.7%. It is a growing industry that provides over 100,000 jobs and has a twenty billion dollar impact on the economy. Wind power is popular because it’s sustainable and clean. Wind turbines don’t produce pollutants or atmospheric emissions that hurt the environment the way traditional power sources do, and they will continue to function as long as there is wind. In addition, after the initial cost of installation, wind farms are free to operate.

However, there are several downsides to wind farms. Wind farms are typically located in rural areas, which makes it difficult for urban places like the East coast to use the power. This issue could be solved by placing the turbines off the coast or using the power generated from the nearest wind farm. And some activists are worried that wind farms harm habitats and wildlife, like birds. Another challenge is the cost of building a wind farm and transporting the energy. Lastly, it is hard for wind farms to compete with fossil fuels since it can be less profitable and requires more land and upkeep.

https://www.energy.gov/eere/wind/advantages-and-challenges-wind-energy
http://windeis.anl.gov/guide/basics/
https://www.awea.org/resources/news/2017/us-wind-generation-reached-5-5-of-the-grid-in-2016

Do you think the pros outweigh the cons?
Is wind energy the best form of sustainable energy?
Should the government push the use of sustainable energy more?

Comments

Anonymous said…
I believe wind energy, and other sources of sustainable power, are essential because of the environmental impacts of burning fossil fuels. If the issues that those emissions cause aren’t enough to convince people to switch their energy source, then the fact that we are on the verge of using up all our fossil fuels should. Unfortunately, wind power specifically is not very reliable since wind patterns can change and as you said they can only be placed in rural areas. I think the technology needs to be further developed in order to make wind power more practical. The energy created needs to be able to be stored, contained, and transported without too much loss and at a cheap cost. This is a long shot since that type of tech for cheap would be hard to achieve, but if more effort is put towards the cause then wind power has the potential to help humanity thrive as it veers away from burning fossil fuels.
April 11, 2019 at 6:54 PM
Anonymous said…
In my opinion, wind energy, as well as other renewable resources, are the essential resources in positively impacting the environment. In the present day, there are many things that require the use of non-renewable resources such as fossil fuels. And as we all learned in class, these resources can bring an unreturnable result to the environment, polluting and destroying it. Like Sophie said, wind energy could be the resource that could potentially replace fossil fuels. However, I believe that we currently don't value wind energy as much as fossil fuels. I believe that we must come up with a better technology that could absorb and produce more energy efficiently in order to successfully replace fossil fuels. I know this would take a long time and effort, but I believe by doing this, we could bring about a significant change not only in the environment but also in our society.
April 11, 2019 at 10:42 PM
Anonymous said…
Wind energy, once a push for it is highly requested, has the possibility to be less expensive. The more consumers use this source of energy directly correlates to advancements in technology regards to it. The more it is pushed for more people will work together to create cheaper ways to produce it. My view on wind energy is mainly positive due to the vast amount of benefits this sustainable method has. It is abundant and considered clean. Wind energy promotes economic and environmental wellbeing. Jobs are created in this industry and it doesn’t pollute the air like how the fossil fuels do when combusted. I think that the government should definitely strive to push this type of energy rather than ones that are harming the atmosphere. Companies mostly like money, and if there is a way to get more profit from wind energy than its more than likely they'd make a decision to switch over.
April 12, 2019 at 5:20 AM
Anonymous said…
In this instance, I definitely believe that the pros outweigh the cons. At the rate we are going, we will definitely run out of fossil fuels to use, and that is not the only problem. Furthermore, we pollute our environment with the use of fossil fuels. Similar to how we were able to make more affordable electric cars, such as Teslas, I believe we can produce wind turbines and wind farms for cheaper. This way we would be able to live in a healthy environment and not a heavily polluted one. Development and reasearch with new wind technology could help us achieve this, as well as figuring out a way to mass produce wind turbines and the parts associated with wind farms. Thus, I believe it is in the best interest of the government to push the transition to more sustainable forms of energy, similar to the $7500 tax rebate for purchasing an electric car.
April 12, 2019 at 11:16 AM
Anonymous said…
I think that the pros definitely outweigh the cons. We need to move to clean and renewable energy because our energy infrastructure is entirely based off fossil fuels currently, and when fossil fuels dwindle, we won’t be able to recuperate. I think wind energy maybe one of the best alternatives to fossil fuels for energy. However, solar panels, in my opinion, are probably better than wind. Solar panels can be placed on roofs on houses and can provide all the energy for that one house. It will be cheaper for the house owner instead of paying an electricity company, and will use clean energy. I definitely think that the government should push for sustainable energy. Without a push, we will not be able to switch over to clean energy effectively once fossil fuels run out.
April 12, 2019 at 11:17 AM
Unknown said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
April 13, 2019 at 1:53 PM
Anonymous said…
The pros of using wind energy really do outweigh the cons. It's understandable that the cost to build and place wind turbines might be a burden to many who can't reap the benefits and make a considerable return such as nonrenewables like coal and etc. who are substantially cheaper. Which then I would say a better choice with a better return could be hydropower or solar panels who are more spread out in terms of cost and make a better more environmentally and economic benefits.
April 13, 2019 at 1:57 PM
Anonymous said…
In the long run, the pros definitely outweigh the cons. For our future and our next generations' future, it is better that we use energy that is sustainable, clean, and doesn’t produce pollutants or atmospheric emission. I do believe wind energy is a better form of sustainable energy but what about areas that doesn’t have very much wind? However, I do stingy suggest that governments do push the use of sustainable energy more for our environment.
April 14, 2019 at 9:46 PM
Anonymous said…
I think the pros are more grandly weighed than the cons. We need sustainable energy and wind is one that is useful. Though wind is not something that changes all the time, I think when it is windy a lot of energy will be produced transporting that energy with minimal loss is what we should be aiming for. I do think that solar energy of hydroelectric energy is more efficient, because it is constantly forming energy rather than in some periods of time. But we must use all the sustainable energy forms we can because the truth is we are going to run out of the fossil fuels which powers most of the world.
April 15, 2019 at 7:10 AM
Anonymous said…
I believe the pros of wind energy strongly outweigh the cons. Sustainable energy needs to be practiced more if we as a nation want to have less of an ecological footprint. It is important that we not only live for ourselves but that we also think of the future generations and the Earth that they inhabit. Although fossil fuels are more convenient, we need to learn to stop relying on them because in due time, we won’t have them. I think the government should encourage the use of renewable energy now, so that we can sooner rather than later reduce the harm to the environment.
April 15, 2019 at 7:30 AM
Anonymous said…
I think that the pros definitely the cons in the idea of wind turbines. They may cost a lot to create, but they create lots of jobs which helps the economy, and also as we use up all the fossil fuels, the prices of using them will rise. Additionally, as fossil fuels continue to destroy the environment, we will have to find ways to repair or help the environment which in the long run will cost even more. I think the government should encourage sustainable energy now, to be most cost effective. There is no reason that we should not be moving towards more sustainable energy sources. WInd turbines work best by the coast because of the wind coming in from the ocean, but the power can be transferred to more urban areas.
April 15, 2019 at 7:45 AM
Anonymous said…
When I think of wind turbines, I never really dig deep to think about how much they can actually help us. After reading this blog post, I can definitely say that the pros of implementing more wind turbines outweigh the cons. They reduce the amount of fossil fuels used by a drastic amount, and they don't need an entire population of people to switch, since governments can implement them themselves. All in all, Wind turbines would be a great idea.
April 15, 2019 at 8:47 AM
Anonymous said…
I am all for green energy, but in my opinion wind farms aren’t the solution. Personally I find them kinda ugly outside. Not to mention the impact they can have on the birds. I like solar panels a lot more because there is a lot more energy that can be obtained from solar energy than wind energy. However, if wind turbines are the big solution to fossil fuels, I’m all for it.
April 15, 2019 at 10:28 AM
Anonymous said…
Wind power had really great advantages and also some disadvantages but the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. The clean energy provided is great but turbines don’t make a lot of the United States energy sector. If we implement more turbines, I believe we can make a positive change economically and environmentally. Wind energy is free as we don’t pay for wind to blow and jobs are created. Wind power should be utilized to its full potential and I think if we can, we as a nation will be better off.
April 15, 2019 at 10:30 AM
Anonymous said…
Wind turbines havealways been up in the air on their efficiency and worth. We would have to look at the migration of different birds in order to try and eliminate the amount of bird deaths. But much like solar panels, they could be ideal for the vast open lands in the south. It honestly wouldn’t be a bad alternative to fossil fuel. But we need to convince more folks on the power it could provide. See people complain from the sound to the look itself.
April 15, 2019 at 10:47 AM
Unknown said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
April 15, 2019 at 10:52 AM
Anonymous said…
A shift to the use of wind power would definitely be a positive for our environment, despite some of the cons. Wind turbines can definitely serve as a way to move away from the use of fossil fuel energy. I don’t think wind energy alone can take the place of fossil fuels, but it sure can allow us to cut back on the use of them. Wind turbines may be expensive to make, but in the long run it will save our envrironment from undergoing further damage.
April 15, 2019 at 11:02 AM
Anonymous said…
Wind energy is one of the few forms of energy that is clean, renewable, and sustainable. We should take advantage of this unlimited source of power. While wind turbines might be expensive to manufacture, and might be harmful to a few birds, it is still far more beneficial to use this source of energy. In the long run, we will save money and the environment with wind energy. Unlike hydroelectric energy, wind energy doesn’t block other resources like running rivers. It is also more efficient than solar energy, even with the advances being made in the area. All in all, wind energy seems to be one of the best options for sustainable, clean energy for the future.
April 15, 2019 at 3:33 PM
Anonymous said…
I do believe the pros outweigh the cons because wind energy is an essential rewnerable energy source that benefits our enviornment. Fossil Fuels are being used more and more everyday but iit is also polluting out enviornment. If we can convert to using windmills to produce energy, not only will we be getting the same amount of energy, but we also protect our enviornment. I believe that wind energy is the best alternative to using fossil fuels. The government should absolutely push the use of this sustained energy because it is sustainable and clean. Wind turbines don’t produce pollutants to atmospheric emissions that hur the enviornment but fossil fuels do. The government will consider that the price of this transition is really exspensive but the benefits do outweigh the harms.
April 16, 2019 at 10:42 AM
Anonymous said…
The only thing that would be lost from fossil fuels is a job market for many humans in states such as Texas, or in international places such as the UAE. However, saying this is easier said than to see the effects. Large amounts of people will be unable to make money. But to help people preserve their jobs, maybe the company can switch to renewable sources slowly but surely. There is really no reason to not use renewable sources due to the amount of pros that outweighs the cons. Renewable sources do not hurt the environment as much as non renewable resources and don’t contribute to emission of gases in the atmosphere. Even car companies are trying to switch to “green” with certain types of hybrid cars being released.
April 16, 2019 at 10:51 AM
Anonymous said…
As our population continues to rise, I find it imperative that humans find renewable resources. Since nonrenewable rescources have been used heavily in the past century, the amount of hazardous chemicals that have been released is tremendous. In regards to wind turbines, I belive they are effective but only in locations where they can be effectively utilized. If more efforts are made in finding ideal locations for wind turbines, humans may be able to create a lot of energy through methods harmless to the environment.
April 16, 2019 at 11:54 AM
Anonymous said…
While it may not seem like it at first, fossil fuels are so much more expensive than renewable energy sources, such as wind turbines. While the primary return may be much greater for fossil fuels than wind turbines, in the long run it becomes much cheaper when you take into consideration costs of running plants. I definitely feel like the pros outweigh the cons. In the beginning it may appear opposite, but looking into the future, you can see that wind turbines are much more effective. The government needs to take charge and start pushing renewable energy resources. The use of fossil fuels affects everyone, not just those that burn it. The air is getting more and more polluted, and it is time we take stronger action against it.
April 16, 2019 at 6:40 PM
Amogh Gokhale said…
I think that the benefits of wind power and solar power, even though they might be more long term, defiantly outweigh those of gas and oil. The energy generated from renewable resources are much more clean, and are even cheaper than gas and fossil fuels. I think if this current generation of oil and gas funded lawmakers move on, we can make green energy a big success.
April 16, 2019 at 7:12 PM
Anonymous said…
Once wind power becomes cheaper than coal, then the invisible hand of the market will replace all coal power plants with wind farms. In fact, that's already happened by now. It's more profitable to build a wind farm than a coal plant. As for environmental problems, wind turbines can't possibly cause more damage than power plants. I see no downsides to wind energy. However, I think solar energy is better, because it's easier to transport and it looks better and doesn't block the sky.
April 16, 2019 at 9:51 PM
Anonymous said…
Although there are some problems surrounding wind energy, it is defiantly worth it in the long run. Although it may be expensive, it is better than the other sources of energy that greatly harm the enviornment. The government should focus its energy on sustainable energy so that the future will be protected. While driving to Oklahoma, me and my family have seen wind turbines along the way. They are very big and undoubtedly supply a great amount of energy. However, I can see how these can be limiting to compacted communities. The government should find a way to make wind energy more universal, allowing all communities to use it.
April 17, 2019 at 9:07 AM
Anonymous said…
In this case, the pros definently out weigh the cons for wind energy. This form of energy is less costly for the Earth compared to non renewable resources such as coal, natural gas, etc. Expense Shouldn’t matter because the alternative to saving the planet is A bigger pro than this measly con. Wind energy many not be the most sustainable, but it makes a decent amount of energy to provide for the common people. Wind may not be consistent as the sun, but it would help lesson the amount of pollution we put out onto the planet.
April 17, 2019 at 10:50 AM
Anonymous said…
I think wind energy is highly sustainable and is definitely worth it for future generations. I think it is a great source to take advantage of because it is pretty much unlimited. I believe if we take initiative to build more win turbines around the US, and even the world, it will highly benefit future generations and the Earth overall. I think it is important that we educate more of the public on how wind energy should become more of a global implementation, hopefully encouraging foreign governments to spread more sources of wind energy over their countries.
April 17, 2019 at 11:14 AM
Anonymous said…
Wind energy is a highly sustainable type of energy as it is a clean fuel source, supports agriculture, there is a negligible amount of greenhouse gases released, and the land is preserved. Implementing wind energy around the world instead of burning fossil fuels would help the climate change crisis. However, while an amazing idea, it is extremely difficult to fully implement due to the costs and negative way it would affect big businesses.
April 17, 2019 at 10:27 PM
Anonymous said…
I do believe that the pros of wind farms outweighs the cons. In fact, I think that wind farms increase the efficiency of arable land. Not only do they make use of land that isn’t being used efficiently but it also produces plenty energy. I do not believe, however, that wind energy is the most efficient resource of renewable energy.
April 18, 2019 at 11:46 AM
Anonymous said…
I 100% believe that the pros of wind energy outweigh the cons. I also think that the government should be moving more towards renewable energy sources and away from fossil fuels if we want any chance of saving our planet. Wind energy, like anything else, follows the laws of supply and demand. As demand increases, supply will increase to meet said demand. Therefore, it is our job as consumers to increase the demand for renewable energy sources. If we do so, our environment will have a better chance of lasting longer.
April 23, 2019 at 4:52 PM
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