Knowing About Wind Power Pros And Cons

Wind power pros and cons are the source of a raging debate these days. The federal government has allocated sufficient funding toward turbine wind energy this year, along with geothermal, solar supply and biomass forms of energy.

Suddenly it seems like the whole world has realized that our current energy system, which is so dependent on finite fossil fuels like coal and petroleum, will not withstand the test of time, particularly as our world industrializes and our populations live longer. The need to find free, domestic sources of energy is great. While alternative wind energy is the fastest growing source of power, will it be the best solution?

In looking at wind power pros and cons, we must also consider that wind purchase can keep America as a global superpower for years to come. Since there is 85% worldwide support for alternative wind energy and it remains the fastest growing source of renewable energy, the U.S. must keep up with the pursuit of this power.

In the past, Amsterdam became a superpower for their ability to harness the water as an energy source. Later, the U.S. gained superpower status by using fossil fuels to power industries and manufacturing plants.

China, India, Denmark, Germany, Canada and numerous other countries are manufacturing wind turbines, creating jobs, wealth and energy independence for themselves. Now we must look toward wind, solar, geothermal and biomass sources to remain competitive in the global marketplace.

Now let's continue our discussion of wind power pros and cons by looking at some of the disadvantages posed by turbine wind energy. Some people find the appearance of tall groups of wind turbines to be unsightly and unnatural.

Also, the University of Massachusetts reports that generators wind power turbines can be very noisy when wind speed is low. They indicate that the noise from each individual turbine is the equivalent of one car traveling at 70 mph. The sound has also been described as a "brick wrapped in a towel turning in a tumble dryer," "as if someone was mixing cement in the sky," or "like a train that never arrives."

As John Zimmerman of Lowell, Vermont pointed out, "Wind turbines don't make good neighbors." In some Canadian studies, people living near windmill farms complained of suffering from abominable headaches, although this potential danger has not been clinically proven yet.

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