Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Wind Energy

Wind energy is a form of renewable energy that is becoming more popular everyday. Wind is a byproduct of solar energy; the uneven heating of the air over land and water creates wind as warm air rises and cool air rushes in to take its place. It has been harnessed as energy for thousands of years in the form of windmills, but more recently wind power has been able to be transformed into raw power.


For the first time wind power has been viewed as a possible renewable source of electricity. In recent years modern "wind farms" have been constructed with large numbers of turbines that generate electricity when rotated by the wind. As of 2009, wind power usage was growing in the United States at the rate of 30 percent per year. However, some people oppose the construction of large wind farms because they believe such farms are dangerous to flying birds and mar scenic views.

A proposed offshore wind farm off of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, has run into opposition for these reasons. As of 2009, the United States led the world in wind power, in terms of megawatts of power produced. Within the United States, Texas is by far the largest producer of wind energy, with 9,410 megawatts of capacity as of 2009.

"Renewable Energy." Current Issues: Macmillian Social Science Library. Detroit: Gale, 2010. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 8 Nov. 2010.

7 comments:

  1. Wind power can be a good form of energy. At the same time the windmills can be ugly. I wouldn't want to wake up every morning and see them outside of my window.

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  2. I think that a nuclear power plant would be a better idea. They produce far more energy. People are just scared of what could happen if something went wrong. Wind energy is better than burning coal or whatever they do now though.

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  3. Windmills are much cheaper to use, but they don't look very pretty but if they do the job and its more safer and doesn't pollute the air as much I think its a good idea.

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  4. That is true wind energy is cool but also cause a problem themselves. The set up to make one cause pollution to set it up and to put it up and everything else

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  5. Windmills can be a good thang and they can be a bad thang to.

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  6. This seems like a good idea to make wind into energy. We need safer ways to get energy and to stop polluting the world we live on so many more people can live on it.

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  7. As much as you can re-use energy you should it is helping the o-zone layer heal its self.

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Bio Wave technology is an area that is currently being research. These buoy's are submerged under water and the currents of the ocean sway them back and forth. The motions are being converted into electrical energy.