Wind Energy as a Replacement for Fossil Fuels - 960 Words

The Issue Energy is an integral part of our daily lives. While organisms get energy to move from food, non-living appliances such as phones, lights, cars etc. get their energy from other renewable or non-renewable sources. The majority of energy consumed comes from non-renewable energy sources: fossil fuels (oil, gas and coal) and nuclear energy. In the past few decades, the issue of a potential â€Å"energy crisis† has arisen. Since people nowadays use such large amounts of fossil fuels, they will run out in the near future. Out of the three fossil fuels, oil and gas are the most widely used. It is predicted that, without taking into account the new reserves that could become accessible with the advancement of technology, oil and gas†¦show more content†¦Wind farms can be found either on land or offshore in either shallow or deep water. Smaller wind turbines can be found on the roofs of houses that just produce electricity for one household. How much energy a wind turbine prod uces depends on its size. Currently, wind power supplies just under 2% of global power, and has the potential to increase to 12-18% by 2020. It is the fastest growing power source, growing 25% each year. One World Issues The first one world issue that can be considered is environmental. Wind energy is beneficial to the environment, as it does not produce any waste, pollution and greenhouse gases. It has been found that the emissions eliminated in a year from generating electricity using a 1 megawatt wind turbine is over 1500 tons of carbon dioxide, 6.5 tons of sulfur dioxide, 3.2 tons of nitrogen oxides, and 60 pounds of mercury (â€Å"About Wind Energy: Factsheets†)—substances that are either greenhouse gases or cause negative health effects (â€Å"Health†) (â€Å"Basic Information†), or both (â€Å"Nitrogen Oxides (NOx)†. Wind turbines also don’t require water to prevent overheating, unlike other ways of producing energy. However, wind turbines can effect the environment negatively because they can ruin the landscape, as areas with high wind energy potential are usually very scenic. In addition to this, they can still cause noise pollution even though moder n technology has allowed them to become quieter (Cruden 46). The second one world issue that concernsShow MoreRelatedNew Is Not Always Better Essay1208 Words   |  5 Pagesarea of energy needs. Coal and fossil fuels have been used for a long time and are now considered crude and outdated. Many governments and companies are now searching for cleaner and renewable alternatives such as solar energy, bio-fuels, and wind energy. Although these new sources are great for additives to the energy market, they are in no way a suitable replacement for fossil fuels. All of these types of energy have their own place which is working alongside the other forms of energy. 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