| Wind power, or wind energy, is a
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| | 50-350 kW of electricity. Often wind
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| renewable resource; it is from the sun.
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| | turbines are grouped together; the
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| The advantages of wind power are many,
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| | arrangement in called a wind farm that
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| including practical, environmental as
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| | provides energy to an electrical grid.
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| well as economic. There are also
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| | Vertical axis turbines are more efficient
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| disadvantages to using windpower, such as
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| | in areas with vast amount of lands and
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| the natural variability of wind, the
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| | moderate wind speeds. Current technology
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| competition for other land uses, and bird
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| | is looking to develop different turbine
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| deaths.
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| | types for different areas of wind speed
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| Wind power, or wind energy, is a
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| | given the amount of land available for
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| renewable resource; it is from the sun.
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| | farms.
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| The intensity of solar radiation differs
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| | The advantages of wind power are many,
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| across the globe. Some areas receive
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| | including practical, environmental as
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| intense amounts of sunlight, while others
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| | well as economic. Worldwide, the total
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| receive much less. The result is a
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| | kinetic energy contained in wind is more
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| temperature gradient; a gradient which is
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| | than 80 times that of human energy
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| mediated by the flow of air to and from
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| | consumption. While only a fraction of
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| areas of dissimilar temperatures and
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| | this can be used for electricity
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| pressure systems in our atmosphere.
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| | purposes, the potential-given future
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| Uneven heating of the earth's
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| | technological developments is great.
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| atmosphere,in addition to irregularities
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| | Environmental advantages include the fact
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| on the earth's surface and the rotation
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| | that a renewable source of clean,
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| of the earth create wind. Terrain, water
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| | nonpolluting energy curbs the demand and
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| bodies, and vegetation then shape flow
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| | use of fossil fuels and emit no air
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| patterns.
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| | pollution of greenhouse gases, In the US,
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| The recent history of wind power in the
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| | wind plants have offset the emission of
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| United States has a similar impetus to
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| | than 2.5 billion pounds of carbon
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| that of alternative fuel sources in
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| | dioxide, and 15 million pounds of other
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| general - it was an idea borne from the
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| | pollutants. Also, wind energy is free:
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| 1970's Oil Crisis. It does, however, have
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| | the cost of installation and maintenance
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| a more extensive history reaching back
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| | has dramatically decreased in recent
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| into to late 19th century in the
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| | years and future technology ensures only
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| colonization of the American West;
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| | a continual decrease in the prices. As a
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| millions of windmills were erected for
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| | result, the lifetime investment is much
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| irrigation and cattle purposes to
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| | lower than most fossil-fuel systems.
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| facilitate the growing number of farms
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| | One of the primary disadvantages to wind
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| and ranches. Many soon feel into
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| | power is the natural variability of wind
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| disrepair as inexpensive energy sources
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| | in any given locale. Indeed there are
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| became more widespread and grid power
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| | certain areas with extremely high average
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| extended its reach into rural areas used
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| | wind speeds, but in most places, wind
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| small electric wind systems.
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| | exposure is quite variable. Wind energy
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| Outside of the US, however, wind power
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| | can only be stored with a battery,
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| has a broader history. In fact, there was
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| | otherwise it is not. In the latter case,
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| evidence that boats were propelled along
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| | not all energy demands can be met through
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| the Nile as early as 5000BC via wind
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| | the natural timing of winds. For these
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| energy. China used wind for pumping water
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| | reasons, it may not be a viable option
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| several millennium ago.
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| | for some. One other disadvantage is the
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| Wind is harnessed to make mechanical
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| | competition for other - more highly
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| power or electricity. The kinetic energy
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| | valued and profit generating - land uses.
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| from the wind is converted through
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| | Economic disadvantages include the fact
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| various different processes to create
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| | that the initial investment is often
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| mechanical energy that can be used in
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| | higher than fossil fuel systems. The
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| lieu of fossil fuels. There are two
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| | higher costs is mostly due to the
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| types of modern turbines - horizontal and
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| | machinery which is involves. Other costs
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| vertical axis, both of which work similar
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| | include site preparation and
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| to one another and as decried above.
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| | installation. The primary environmental
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| Between the two types, they come in an
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| | drawbacks to wind power are as follows:
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| array of sizes from small 100 watt units
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| | Noise pollution via the rotor blades
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| for single homes to much larger or ones
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| | Aesthetic impacts ("visual pollution"),
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| (with a blade diameter greater than 50m).
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| | and bird deaths.
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| These larger turbines can generate 1 MW
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| | It is important to keep in mind that many
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| of electricity.
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| | of these problems have been resolved with
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| The most common used today are horizontal
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| | increasing technology. Avian mortality,
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| axis turbines with three blades (15-30m
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| | however, is still being studied.
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| in diameter) and produce approximately
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