Wind Power - Harnessing the Power of Nature

3465 Words7 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Generating electricity with a wind turbine essay

Abstract: Wind power is an up and coming form of energy production in

the United States and on the world stage. Wind energy production is the

process of harnessing the power of the natural world for the benefit of

humans. It has developed from incipient stages in tenth century Persia to

highly sophisticated systems which take advantage of modern knowledge

of physics and environmental science to maximize energy potential. Many

challenges to its success exist, including public apathy, governmental

disinterest, and environmental hazards, but on the whole it is among the

cleanest and most promising means of producing electricity. Without

understanding wind power, one cannot hope to adequately comprehend

the future of energy.

Introduction

Wind power is among the fastest growing and least polluting forms of

energy available today. The recent rise of public interest in renewable

energy over the past few years has inspired an explosive twenty-five

percent growth per year in the wind industry. Though wind power currently

provides just one percent of the world’s energy, it is for the most part an

untapped resource. Estimates place its potential for energy production at

twenty percent of the world’s total needs. In short, wind power is going

places, and it is important that scientists and citizens keep up. (Botkin

and Keller, 357)

History

Wind power originated under the most practical of circumstances: the

need to crush grain for flour. Originally a labor-intensive process of hand

pressing between stones, the challenge to find a better way to mill flour

soon engaged the human imagination. This led to hand cranks, horse-

drawn axles, and eventually watermill...

... middle of paper ...

... Wind Power and Other Energy Options. Ann Arbor,

Michigan: The University of Michigan Press, 1978.

National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). “Clean Energy Basics:

Introduction to Wind Energy.” 2003. 27 April 2003. clean_energy/wind.html> Righter, Robert. Wind Energy in America. Norman, Oklahoma: University

of Oklahoma Press, 1996.

Tse, Lawrence, and Duane Bong. “Environmental Impact of Wind

Turbines.” Vision Engineer.com. 2003. 29 April 2003. www.visionengineer.com/env/wind environmental_impact.shtml>

United States Department of Energy. “Wind Energy Program.” 2001. 28

April 2003.

Union of Concerned Scientists. “Bush Budget Slashes Funds for

Renewable Energy Sources.” News. 2003. 29 April 2003.
www.ucsusa.org/news.cfm?newsID=328>

Show More
Related

  • Mary Magdalen of Dostoevsky's Notes from Underground

    2324 Words  | 5 Pages

    Dostoevsky, Fyodor M. Crime and Punishment. Trans. Jessie Coulson. Ed. George Gibian. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 1989.

    Read More

  • Raskolnikov's Crimes

    1818 Words  | 4 Pages

    In every age we live, there is a constant struggle between finding a cure to our neurosis with the advent of urbanization and finding qualities in nature that supersede our abilities in enhancing modern man. With that kind of chaos come various forms of behaviors and actions, most of which stem to arguments of good versus evil. Dostoevsky insists that men have the choice between good and evil every moment of their lives; no matter the circumstance, they have the choice between moral and immoral. Crime and Punishment is a story of Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov’s struggle with the ideologies of his time. The young and impoverished law student is torn between unifying and nihilistic cultures afflicting nineteenth-century tsarist Russia. Through a journey of crime, it becomes clear to Raskolnikov that his ultimate failure was caused by his transgression in murdering cold-heartedly, attempting to prove his self-worth by crossing the law. As Raskolnikov’s guilt overwhelms him and becomes unbearable, his only solace is confession to the crime. Serving his prison term in Siberia, Raskolnikov comes to the realization that reason cannot beat the human conscience.

    Read More

  • Themes in the Opening Passage of Crime and Punishment

    1034 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the first chapter of 'Crime and Punishment', by Dostoyevsky, the characters and themes are introduced and established with a strong and creative flair. It gives an indication of the urban social conditions in nineteenth century Russia, describing the horrifying conditions with disturbing detail and without bias. Without a doubt, this novel pushes and breaks down barriers and rules which instruct a primary chapter to be mundane and unexciting, producing an innovative and enthralling start to a novel of similar characteristics.

    Read More

  • Wind Energy

    2498 Words  | 5 Pages

    Wind Energy is a viable industry that has become a valuable energy source. The energy generated from wind is clean and efficient. The wind energy industry helps to ensure that electric demands are met, wildlife impact is minimal, the environment is not devastated, as well as creates new jobs during the construction of wind farms, daily operations, manufacturing components, and exporting components to foreign countries.

    Read More

  • Differences Between Liberalism And Constructivism

    1738 Words  | 4 Pages

    Modern Liberalism can be tied to the creation of the President Woodrow Wilson’s speech “The World must be made safe Democracy, Fourteen Points”. One of the points, the last one called for the creation of a League Nations. The purpose of the League was create a forum where na-tions can discuss their differences without resorting to war and to maintain each nation’s politi-cal and territorial integrity. The league turned out to be a failure for three reasons: One the United States, which championed its cause did not join due to an isolationist world view other major nations were excluded such as Russia and Germany, creating a lack of legitimacy and prestige. Second, the lack to authority to have nations contribute military power to enforce its will if economic sanctions did not work. Third, the international community was not ready for a League concept.

    Read More

  • The Pros And Cons Of Rehabilitation In Prisons

    1796 Words  | 4 Pages

    Rehabilitation in prisons is a topic most don 't give a second glance at. With prisons, most people expect something bad and choose to ignore any information they hear about the subject. What most people don 't understand is that having rehabilitation programs in jail are doing more good then bad. I 'm writing this to prove that it 's important to have rehabilitation programs in jail and how we should work to improve them.

    Read More

  • International Relations: Liberalism and Realism

    2270 Words  | 5 Pages

    To define any perspective in International Relations, one must understand its’ origin and primary authors, including the context in which they were writing in. Liberalism is one of the more loosely defined perspectives as it has had a number of authors throughout history. Primarily, liberalism relies on the positive aspects of human nature. One of the most prominent liberal authors was Kant- who often wrote of the anarchical nature of international relations- referring to it as “the lawless state of savagery.” He also wrote of three primary routes to obtaining peace within this system, namely treating all aspects of human life with humanity, allowing for a federation of states and most importantly republican constitutionalism.

    Read More

  • The Motif of Poverty Throughout Crime and Punishment by Dostoyevsky

    1228 Words  | 3 Pages

    Crime and Punishment revolves around Raskolnikov and his amplifying guilt after he murders the pawnbroker, Alyona. From the beginning of the novel his poverty is displayed in his living condition, which is further described by the “yellowish dusty wall-paper peeling off the walls” (Part 1. 3) and the sofa that Raskolnikov designates as his bed is “taking up almost the whole of one wall and half the width of the room, and with a print cover now old and worn into holes” (Part 1.3). Raskolnikov is disgusted by the way he lives and even more appalled by the depressing city of St. Petersburg that is full of unemployed drunken men and molesters. The repugnance of the city is further explained to have an “insufferable stench from the pothouses, which are particularly numerous in that part of the town, and the drunken men” (Part 1. 1). Raskolnikov’s opinion of the city is shown by having “an expression of the profoundest disgust” (Part 1. 1). The cities overall pessimistic charm sets a tone that Raskolnikov is greatly influenced by his low social class and will contain repercussions as the novel goes on. However, Raskolnikov has a pride that differentiates him from his surroundings and separates him from the society he lives in. His self-confidence gives him the illusio...

    Read More

  • Global Politics in the 20th Century

    2259 Words  | 5 Pages

    First, both liberals and realists agree that international system is anarchic and survival of the state is the primary interests (Marten 9/19/2011). Contrary to liberalism, realists believe that international anarchy encourages states to concern about relative gains and distribution of power given the fungible nature of power (Jervis 2011: 335). However, thinking of international relations as a zero-sum game does not necessitate mindless offensive actions. Instead, just as Mearsheimer suggests, states “think carefully about the balance of power and about how other states will react to their moves” (35). As a result of these power considerations, the balance of...

    Read More

  • Win with Wind Energy

    1272 Words  | 3 Pages

    Wind energy or wind power is the extraction of kinetic energy from wind and the conversion of it into mechanical energy. Man has harnessed the power of the wind for many centuries. Wind is a type of solar energy. The sun heats the earth’s surface and the warmer air begins to rise. Cooler air flows into the area below the rising air causing wind. The Egyptians utilized the wind as early as 5000 B.C. by attaching sails to propel boats across the Nile River. For many years sailing ships on the open seas were powered by capturing the wind with sails. The Dutch adapted the windmill and used it to drain the lakes and the marshes of the Rhine River. Windmills are used in food production such as grinding grain. Since the early 1800s, windmills in the United States have been pumping water from the ground. The windmill was instrumental in the development of dry land farming in the Midwest after the Civil War. Hundreds of windmills are still pumping today to provide water for grazing cattle.

    Read More

  • Climate Change and Sustainable Development

    1204 Words  | 3 Pages

    March 17, 2014. Hinrichs, Roger ; Kleinbach, Merlin. Energy, Its Use and the Environment. 2013. The. Print.

    Read More

  • Wind Energy Essay

    938 Words  | 2 Pages

    There are many different sources of energy that are naturally available throughout the world in different forms. There are two types of energy: renewable and non-renewable. Non-renewable is made from fossil fuels; which can include oil, coal and wood. They are non-renewable because they are not regenerated immediately, and it can take between 100-100,000 years to make a fossil fuel. They are important because they produce constant energy throughout the world. This is because of their high availability. The problem with non-renewable energy is that, when burned, they release harmful greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere. Especially when the world, as a whole, is using too much too quickly; and therefore the earth cannot replenish the fuels naturally or quickly enough. Renewable sources of energy are obtained from different natural sources. A benefit about this kind of energy is that it can be replaced and it is sustainable. Renewable energy is important because it is used significantly in electricity generation and heating. It is also important because it can be replenished, and therefore it is better for the environment.

    Read More

  • Wind Turbines

    1392 Words  | 3 Pages

    Wind turbines are a great source of energy all around the world. Wind Turbines produce wind energy that can be used to power our homes. Wind turbines convert Kinetic energy into mechanical power. Then this mechanical power gets generated into electricity. Wind turbines make energy by the wind turning the large blades, which spin a shaft that is connected to the large blades, which then operates the generator making electricity. One new idea is building wind turbines offshore in the mid-Atlantic. Offshore building of wind turbines means that these large turbines will be placed in the Atlantic Ocean. The building of these wind turbines will provide energy to states like Maryland, Delaware, New York, Virginia, and New Jersey. These states want to start this project as soon as possible so that the states can start saving money. Since these regions right now are burning fossil fuels uncontrollably with incredible impacts (not only to our air, but to our health) it is crucial to start right away. Offshore wind turbines will provide more jobs, cut pollution, stop warming of our planet, and save us energy costs. These wind turbines can make enough energy offshore to power about 500,000 thousand homes. However, many people disagree with this idea because they believe it is too expensive.

    Read More

  • Wind Energy Essay

    2268 Words  | 5 Pages

    The wind is an incredibly valuable renewable energy source and is in the forefront of renewable energy developments. It is used to convert wind energy into energy that can be harnessed and used via a variety of methods, including; wind turbines, windmills, sails and windpumps. For a renewable energy source, however, it is wind turbines that are used to generate electricity (see figure 1). Wind power has been used for this since the end of the nineteenth century, after Professor James Blyth of the Royal College of Science and Technology first attempted it (Boyle, 2012). However, It wasn’t until the 1980s that using wind power technology was sufficient enough to experience a rapid growth of the technology.

    Read More

  • Wind Power And Solar Energy

    1042 Words  | 3 Pages

    Wind is a form of solar energy. The term wind energy describes the process by which the wind is used to generate electricity or mechanical power. Wind turbines convert mechanical energy from the wind into electrical power. Wind turbines usually have three main parts. There are blades that connect to a central hub, a box behind the blades that contains the generator, and a long stem that connects to the ground. The way how it works is that the wind turns the blades, which spins a shaft that connects to a generator making electricity. After the electricity is produced it is sent through transmission lines to a substation that is sent to business and homes. For the sake of our planet, we must promote a renewable energy economy. Wind power can be a foundation of that sustainable energy future because it provides jobs in states that are building wind turbines, is a renewable energy source, and does not damage our environment. The environment will not be damaged by the pollution, the natural resources will not be used up, and there won’t be generating of hazardous wastes. Welcoming wind energy today will lay the foundation for a healthy tomorrow that will affect everyone in the United States. There are obstacles and challenges that will make it more difficult, but the environmental impact is well worth it to invest more money into wind energy.

    Read More

More about Wind Power - Harnessing the Power of Nature

Open Document