How_Wind_Power_Benefits_Human_Beings

Benefits of wind power to human beings Introduction Energy is one of the issues that are generating a lot of heat on the world stage right now. Plunkett (p.18) argues that nuclear energy is becoming more appealing to a number of nations that have developed nuclear programs which apparently aids for energy production. There are concerns that oil which is the major source of energy currently may be dwindling. Frequent disruptions due to war and other conflict are not helping the situation either. It has brought about the urgency to look for alternatives. On the other hand clean energy campaigns have recently gained momentum especially with concerns that carbon fuels are polluting the environment (Paraschivoiu, p.42). US president Obama has been a vocal advocate of the clean energy campaign and it has been one of his goals in the US. Clean energy debates are raging but at least both critics and advocates do agree on one thing-that the need for clean and renewable energy is real and necessary. Renewable energy includes geothermal, hydro water electricity, solar power and wind energy. Decrease in pressure in geysers that supply the hot steam for geothermal energy and the unreliable precipitation patterns have combined to make geothermal and hydropower a little unreliable. That leaves the option of going solar or wind. Japan has been a leader taping solar energy while at the same time maintaining high standards of energy efficiency and conservation. Wind power has been tapped in many places in the world like Germany and Kenya. But its real potential is yet to be realized as not much investment has been devoted into that. Therefore there is every reason to believe that wind energy is the next big frontier in terms of energy exploration. There is a lot of energy to be tapped that can be harnessed to provide for the ever growing deficit especially in developing countries. All aspects that have to do with wind energy will be explored and the benefits clearly articulated. Some have been pointed out while others will be brought forward and given the importance they deserve. The energy crisis Smith (p.23) postulates that any major hindrance to the supply of energy to the economy is an energy crisis. This occurred in the oil crisis in the 1970’s which is widely blamed for the economic decline afterward. There have also been other oil crises during the Yom Kippur war, the gulf war in 1990 and the California energy crisis in the year 2000. But these crises have only been limited to certain periods and some major events like embargos have been the cause of this. Though they have been stemmed many experts fear that the energy crises will be a way of life especially with the growing needs and the development of new technologies that demand power. South Africa china and India are rapidly growing economies that are in great demand for energy. The Chinese have recognized that and are furiously involved in the search for oil world over. China and India have nuclear technology effectively aiding them in bridging the energy gap. South Africa though headed the nuclear way represents the predicament of many countries in the third world that are either forced to depend on traditional sources, hydropower and oil. There has never been demand for energy like it is right now. Safe for some developed countries most nations experience a deficit in power available for consumption. Demand has outstripped supply and there are a myriad of problems that have come along with that. Lack of funds and know how impairs the ability of the countries involved to develop new sources of energy for their economies (Sherman, p.34). Clean energy/power This is largely characterized by its renewable attributes. It’s the kind of energy which can be recycled and reused allowing for the conservation of the existing sources and aiding in sustainable development. Its generate form natural sources like wind, rain, geothermal sources and tides. It’s naturally replenished hence leading to the above advantages. Clean energy can also be viewed from the concept point of view where it includes efficiency, clean supply options as well as renewable sources of energy. It’s aimed at reducing the negative impact that carbon fuels have done to the environment and possibly eliminating the unclean sources for sustainable development. Fox (p.112) reveals that by the year 2006 over 18% of world’s energy sources was from renewable sources. Wind power is growing rapidly at an annual rate of 30%. Brazil is the leading country in the usage of renewable energy. The use of ethanol comprises over 18% of the country’s needs. Ethanol is also widely used in the United States. Solar power is hugely popular in Kenya Japan, Spain and the US. Kenya has the highest household ownership of solar generating panels in the world while Japan is the leading in the commercial production of solar power. Wind power From the scientific perspective wind is a form of solar energy. The heating of the earth’s atmosphere, its rotation and the uneven nature of the earth’s surface combine to produce wind (Ackermann, p.14). Bodies of water, the terrains and vegetation influence its flow patterns on the earth’s surface. The speeds and density are determined by the above factors. The wind is then harvested and converted to electric power by wind turbines. It’s important to note that wind can be converted to other forms of energy and electricity is just one or them. Wind power is form of renewable energy that is rapidly gaining popularity due to its efficiency and clean nature. It involves the conversion of wind energy to useful form of power like electricity for commercial or domestic use. Generation is done by the use of wind turbines that are rotated by wind and the resultant energy is converted to the desired form. Wind farms where the turbines are erected are connected to electricity power transmission systems that transport and distribute the readily converted energy to consumers. It’s produced in large scale by contracted companies and in small scale by individual small farms that produce enough to cater for their needs. Generation The whole generation process involves the conversion of the energy forms involved to useful ones that will meet the demand of the targeted population. According to Pasqualetti, Gipe and Righter (p.56), wind turbines harvest and covert the kinetic energy present in the wind into mechanical power. If preferred the mechanical power can be used various tasks like pumping of water. Generators are then used to convert the mechanical energy to electric power that is then distributed as electricity that is used for commercial and domestic purposes. Facts and figures By the year 2008 there was a worldwide wide capacity of 121,000 megawatts of wind energy that’s installed and being used. In the same year the total global electricity consumption from wind energy represented 1.3% (Paraschivoiu, p.43). European countries and the United States have exploited this avenue of power and substantial amounts are produced for commercial use. Denmark was the leading country in the consumption of wind energy with 19% of the total electricity of the country coming form wind. Spain and Portugal were second with 9% while Ireland and Germany had 6% of their electricity generated through wind (Plunkett, p.13). In the United States the concept of wind power is now picking up with the setting up of the world’s largest wind farm. The UK is following suit and it’s expected that a plant that will generate upto1000 megawatts of electricity will be set up in an offshore location in the London array. Other third world countries like Kenya have followed suit with plans to set up wind generating facilities at Ngong, the highest point in the capital Nairobi. Benefits Though wind energy has its demerits like the cost of production and the mode of transportation it’s got more to offer especially in terms of the conservation of the environment. The above facts and figures have clearly demonstrated that there is an ongoing craze for wind energy. This is perhaps because of the obvious fact that the source is environmental friendly and renewable hence there is no fear of depleting of fossil fuels like oil. Its advantages spread beyond the generation of electricity from wind to the natural uses of wind that every human being utilizes either consciously or unconsciously. It helps in sailing, flying kid’s kites and cooling of bodies living or not. It aids in the formation of precipitation and improves the quality of the air that living organism’s breath. In the electricity generation it needs however must be complimented with other sources like hydropower so as to sustain any supply chain with continuous and uninterrupted regime. The benefits that are associated with wind energy production belong to different categories-community, economic, security, environmental safety and health. Wind power or energy is renewable. It is available naturally anytime and it’s not threatened with depletion like other sources like fossil fuels. That fact alone provides the assurance that it can always be relied on for the provision of humanity’s energy needs. It’s more of permanent source f energy than other sources apart from the sun (Wizelius, p.72). So long as the sun exists wind energy will always be generated. Given that the sun will be exiting for the next nearly five billion years it can be comfortably be said that the source is permanent. Therefore its depletion is highly unlikely and to it’s available for future generations. Wind power generation requires less land area per kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity generated than any other energy production system, compared only to solar production. The most attractive fact about is that the whole process can be interlinked by some sort of farming which enhances the effective and economic use of space. Farmers like in the United States comfortably rake in over 4000 dollars per turbine in lease revenues where the turbines are installed. The cost of producing and availing coals and gas are rising In terms of costs it’s the most cost competitive compared to all other forms energy sources. It’s the least expensive of all the renewable sources of energy that exist in the world today. This is because it does not require fuel for its production. The cost of producing wind energy has come down nearly 80% since the 80’s (Gipe, p.53). Today; wind farms can even produce a kilowatt of energy for less than 5 cents. The encouraging fact is that the cost of producing wind energy is likely to come down especially with the advancement of the technology that is involved. Its demand is rising showing the benefits that the people involved have realized. Reliability and efficiency is another advantage that highlights the benefit of wind energy to human beings. Operation expenses are minimal and maintenance is not very expensive. This is especially beneficial to both the large and small scale producers that are always looking for technologies that reduce costs so as to push profits margins up and shore up savings. Dovers (p.88) argues that because wind energy can only be harnessed and produced in the locality, it’s beneficial to the surrounding communities who will benefit from compensation and the availability of power. The generation plants provide numerous jobs to people and are a source of revenues to the authorities, through property and income taxes. Further it’s not affected by events like conflicts and embargos hence making it safe from supply shocks that have always threaten the continuous supply of other sources especially oil. The energy used in the construction of the wind energy power plants can be recovered in a little over three months. The plants’ life is between 20-25 years. They last longer and are maintained at a low cost compared to other sources and their lifespan is economical as far as life and cost is concerned. This provides the much sought after savings that any business looks for. Wind energy is clean. It is obtained naturally and it’s free from the carbon compounds that are associated with fossil fuels. Green house gas emissions to the atmosphere and the resultant destruction of the ozone layer will be minimized through the generation of wind energy. Most power plants are the biggest generators of carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide that are the main cause of global warming. In the UK alone the production of wind energy saves the atmosphere over 750,000 tonnes of carbon emissions every year Electricity generated through this source does not dirty he environment (Gipe, p.27). Acid rains and smog are some of the negative consequences of the gas emissions to the atmosphere. These are drastically minimized or eliminated altogether in the production of wind energy. Due o the decrease of the green house gas emissions biodiversity is likely to benefit vis avis human beings. This means healthier plants other living organisms that provide for food. Both land water organisms will be in good shape directly benefiting the human beings scientifically or otherwise. One of the rising concerns in terms of environmental pollution is the noise pollution. Power plants are major sources of this noise. Wind turbines do produce quite some noise in their course of power generation. But this is nothing compared to other sources. The noise that they produce can be easily be managed by the people who live nearby the plants hence facilitating harmonious cohabitation with human beings. Dependence on foreign sourced energy sources is a critical factor that has led to the severe infringement of other countries sovereignty. Its readily availability around the world meaning that any able people can harness it easily. It does not require any political connections or deals that bind hence economic freedom for the people involved. National and economic security is therefore ensured due to the increased autonomy of the countries. The United States is a case in point where if wind energy was well developed they could minimize its vulnerability to oil producing countries. Often the US government has expressed its fears of sabotage from adversaries due to its dependence on Middle East oil. Wind generation sources do not consume water. This is a major factor considering that all other sources apart from solar require water. Hydro power projects are exclusively water while nuclear production also uses substantial amounts of water. Coal gas and coal bed methane production does use large amounts of water too and so do the refining of crude oil. Because of the minimal or no requirement to use water in wind power generation it’s likely to appeal to environmentalists in their efforts to conserve water and avoid the water stress situation that comes with it. Wind energy is advantageous because of its hybrid nature. It can be used to power homes businesses and rural settings like farms and ranches. It’s applicable in tasks such as water pumping, ice making and the powering of telecommunication sites. The generation of wind energy is a key source in the creation of jobs and a major contributor to economic growth. For every megawatt that is installed jobs are created. According to Plunkett (p.12), in the UK more than 4000 jobs have been created to date. In the United States over 160 jobs are created by the creation of one megawatt of wind electricity that is created. They are sustained by the wind power sector and many more are projected to be created in the near future as the industry grows. Unlike the negative aspects of nuclear power generation wind energy generation is relatively safe. The machinery and the whole process have been proved to be safe by the minimal number of complaints that have been received in places where the installation has taken place. Future of wind energy The United States department of energy estimated in 1991 that the country has the potential to tap wind resources that will not only meet its electricity needs but all the energy needs. A joint assessment by the Europeans and the American departments responsible for energy projected that if only 10% of the earth’s land is available the amount of energy that will be produced from wind resources by the year 2020 will be double the demand that will be available at that time. Wind energy has numerous advantages some of which have been highlighted above. The world is headed to a phase where energy demand will increase and the costs as well will shoot up. Wind energy is offering promising prospects that every investor or government is looking for. It’s cheap and readily available. Plus its permanent meaning it cannot be depleted easily. We are likely to see an increase in the production of wind energy in the future. The industry players are likely to grow considering the demand for power and the appealing nature of wind power to the common people. The benefits that it brings to the people involved cannot be compared with the disadvantages that hydro and nuclear power projects bring. More innovation will be achieved and the industry is likely to grow even further providing even more jobs. Though there will be competition from other energy sectors like solar wind will be more appealing because of the costs that are involved in its production. Oil is likely to be depleted of the existing conflicts are likely to escalate hence hindering its production. All other forms of energy that are associated with water may take a hit due to climate change. Underground geysers that support geothermal power production may not be sustainable in the long run, leaving wind and solar energy as the only options available. Conclusion Everybody does acknowledge that there is an impending global energy crisis. This may or may not be avoided depending on the nature and the mechanisms that are put in place to stem it. Accurate prediction and careful analysis will be hand in determining averting such a crisis. The demand for energy is slowly outstripping supply especially in the third world. There is also demand and need to embark on effort to utilize the environmentally clean energies which are efficient and renewable. This will lead to sustainable development. Wind energy has numerous advantages that are clearly beneficial to humanity. That can be exploited to create more jobs and boost economic development that is badly needed in developing nations. Finally the future belongs to clean and efficient energy and wind energy offers exactly that. Therefore it’s only sensible that people became realistic and invested in the sector for the benefit of all humanity. Works Cited Ackermann Thomas. Wind power in power systems. New York: John Wiley and Sons, 2005. Dovers Stephen. Sustainable energy systems: pathways for Australian energy reform. California: CUP Archive, 1994. Fox Brendan. Wind power integration: connection and system operational aspects. Sydney: IET, 2007. Gipe Paul. Wind energy comes of age. Washington: John Wiley and Sons, 1995. Paraschivoiu Ion. Wind turbine design: with emphasis on Darrieus concept. Berlin: Presses inter Polytechnique, 2002. Pasqualetti, Martin J., Paul Gipe and Robert W. Righter. Wind power in view: energy landscapes in a crowded world. New York: Academic Press, 2002. Plunkett Jack W. Plunkett's Renewable, Alternative & Hydrogen Energy Industry Almanac 2008. Michigan: Plunkett Research, Ltd., 2007. Sherman Josepha. Wind Power. Edinburgh: Capstone Press, 2005. Smith Kimberly K. Powering Our Future: An Energy Sourcebook for Sustainable Living. London: iUniverse, 2005. Wizelius Tore. Developing wind power projects: theory and practice. London: Earthscan, 2007.