Wonderful Wind
Wind helps to lift birds, circulates our air, and regulates our weather. This powerful and majestic force never ceases and has the dynamism to level a city. With new technologies, we can harness this force to produce the current that runs all our cities, farming, and technology. With our increased dependence on fossil fuels, which are leading to destructive greenhouse gases, we must promote renewable energy.
Beforehand, our only source of energy was dirty fossil fuels. These same energy sources that drove us to innovation are bringing us to our extinction. Miles inward of our Earth, where creatures have perished millions of years in the past, fossil fuels are mined. As we burn these fossil fuels, we are maltreating our health. There were over 3 million deaths last year as a direct result of fossil fuels, as miners, lung disease, and cancer. Still, every year 35.9 Gigatons of CO2 make its way into our atmosphere from fossil fuels.
Take A Look At The Impacts Of Fossil Fuels
35.9 Gigatons of CO2
44,000 Oil Barrels Spilled (Yearly)
3+ Million Direct Deaths (Yearly)
6,165 Sea Turtles Died from Oil
Our growing dependence on fossil fuels has reached a tipping point - now negatively impacting our environment and health. The good news is that scientists, engineers, and geographers around the world are developing new and safer sources of energy, including wind power. Wind power employs considerable turbines to transform wind as low as 9 miles/hr into 6 million kWh a year! According to Business Insider, "It would take about 1.49 million turbines to supply the world's electricity expenditure." When we compare these turbines to fossil fuels, we find that the United States alone devours petroleum at 19.88 million barrels per day. The number of wind turbines we need to power the world, is far less compared to fossil fuels. So how do wind turbines work, and why are they so efficient?
A turbine, like the ones in a wind farm, is a machine that spins around in a moving fluid (liquid or gas) and "catches" the energy passing by. All sorts of devices use turbines, from jet engines, hydroelectric power plants, diesel railroad locomotives, to children's toys. The wind is pushed past the blades, resulting in a shaft turning a generator. Generators create a magnetic field that stimulates the movement of electrons or the "little particles" of electricity. This technique is similar to all forms of energy production, even fossil fuels. However, instead of coal boiled steam pushing the generator, it is wind. Merely moving the turbine with wind allows for a much more efficient, and safer production of energy. Plus, wind energy is available 24/7, making it especially helpful for communities with smaller grids and less advanced energy storage. The wind never stops blowing!
We can make use of our winds the same way nature does. From birds to storms, wind influences everything. We must steer our efforts toward efficient renewables like wind power to decrease the detrimental effects of fossil fuels on our planet and our health. With your contribution to Light CO2, you can help support underdeveloped communities with renewable energy.
