Is clean energy a pipe dream?
No matter how it is done, the generation of energy should be a matter of great concern to sportsmen, America’s original conservationists. With the often more realistic view, sportsmen understand that generating electrical energy is essential to life as we now know it. We should also understand that generating energy has costs that might be hidden until it is too late to prevent environmental disaster.
Water power is a good example. Long before people started using electricity, we used water to power mills. With the emergence of the electrical powered civilization, using water to generate power seemed to be the obvious way to do it without polluting the environment.
But we learned that water power is not without costs. Damming rivers destroyed many of the finest fisheries in North America. As recreation became more important, we felt the loss of flowing waterways.
One of the current answers to clean energy is wind power. Proponents make it seem to be a utopian solution to our increasing energy needs. However, using wind to generate energy is not without cost.
Wind energy can be made to sound harmless. Wind is not used up. There is no harmful residue, no apparent pollution.
Using wind to generate electricity is simple in principle. Wind turns a large blade which turns a shaft in a generator. These huge blades are set up in what are called wind farms which consist of several towers and blades. Towers are about 400 feet in height including the blade.
I have watched a wind farm and marveled at their grace and beauty. The great blades appear to turn so very slowly in the wind.
How could anything be wrong?
Blades are not turning as slowly as they appear. Tips of the blades may be traveling at speeds approaching 200 mph. Opponents claim that the wind tower blades kill many birds and bats. There is only minimal study to back this claim; however, it seems likely.
At least one scientist has identified several health risks associated with wind turbine syndrome, among these heart disease, panic attacks and sleep deprivation.
Is there truth in this?
That is for the scientific community to sort out.
There is no clear dividing line between those who support wind power and those who oppose it. Several environmental groups support wind energy.
A lot of information about wind power is available at the Web site of National Wind Watch, www.wind-watch.org. Do not expect to find much in the way of support for wind power there, but it does represent a side of the issue. According to the organization they support the examination of adverse impacts.
One interesting fact worth noting: Although we do not know how much energy is required to operate a wind farm, if there is an electricity blackout the wind farm will not function.
As for the grace and beauty of a wind farm, that wind farm destroys the natural beauty that was there before the wind farm. Magnifying this situation, wind farms typically are constructed in places where they can be seen for long distances.
Like other forms of energy generation, wind power probably has environmental costs. A reasonable viewpoint might be to consider whether the benefits are worth the cost.
Solar energy is another form of power that is being touted as environmentally friendly. Like wind power, this probably could provide only a small percentage of our energy needs at best.
Two obvious problems are clouds and the darkness of night. Nature must cooperate for either wind power or solar power to work. One study project involves solar towers which use solar energy to heat water and create steam that turns generators, just as older generation systems do.
Solar dish/engine systems focus solar power on a receiver that transmits energy to an engine to generate electrical power. The advantage of this system is that it can stand alone to make power in remote locations.
Geothermal power has the potential to contribute to our energy needs. Geothermal energy comes from the natural heat of the Earth. Although this is widely available, sufficient heat is necessary to use it for generation of electricity.
Solar power already is available to consumers and has gained some popularity. Much more development will be necessary, though, before it will make a significant contribution to our energy needs. Geothermal energy also is in the development stage. It is being used for some purposes in Warren. Also, there appears to be some potential to use ocean thermal energy conversion, wave power and tidal power.
Solving our energy needs is complicated and confused by political debate. Energy is everyone’s business. If problems are to be minimized it will have to be accomplished by an educated public.
I suggest that you investigate energy through the Internet, and to begin, limit the search to .edu, or education, Web sites. While every viewpoint is biased, university Web sites appear less so, and they are more advanced.
Mike Bleech
16 August 2009
Tags: Wind power, Wind energy
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