Talking About Green

Since the importance of protecting our environment is now well known, a lot of people are interested in using alternative sources of energy, especially wind power. What a lot of us don’t know is how wind power works. Wind power works very simply; the movement of the wind is used to turn the rotors of wind turbines and this kinetic energy is then turned into electricity.

Right now, it is sad to say but only 1.5% of the world’s electricity use comes from wind power but luckily that percentage is increasing with each passing year.

With the increasing awareness of the benefits offered by wind power and of course, the peril we place our very planet in by not switching to alternative energies, wind power becomes a more and more attractive energy source. Some countries have made more progress than others – for example, Denmark currently produces nearly a fifth of their electricity from wind power.

Other European countries are also getting in on wind power. Spain and Portugal produce about 11% of their electricity this way, with Germany and Ireland not far behind at a figure of 7%. Wind power is not a new technology – it has been used for centuries, though it is only in the past few decades that it has been used to generate electrical energy.

It is true that some people say that wind farms are less than attractive – but given all of the benefits they have to offer, it’s easy to come to terms with the aesthetics of wind power. Wind power does not produce pollution and provides clean and renewable energy.

But does wind power really stop with producing electricity for our homes, businesses, and schools? The answer is no and that is because there is a chance that someday, our cars could actually run with the help of wind power. There was a super car designed in California that can drive at speeds of up to 155 miles per hour without using the typical fuel that we are all used to.

These cars use a solar-charged battery to start, but once they’re on the road, they run on the kinetic energy of air circulation! Wind power could be the answer to many different energy problems faced by the world. It can power our homes and someday may even run our vehicles; there are few, if any downsides to using wind power.

Of course, some who live near a wind farm do have some complaints about the noise, but other neighbors of wind farms shrug it off, saying that these wind power plants produce less noise than a herd of sheep or cows would.

Whether wind farms or regular farms are noisier is a matter of debate. However, it is hoped that adopting this alternative energy will be done in the interests of society and protecting the environment, rather than on the basis of what the neighbors will think.