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Windpower
The Effects Of Windpower And Domestic Oil Drilling
Lately, windpower has emerged as one of the most popular sources of alternative energy. In fact, the popularity of windpower as an energy source has received a resurgence after many decades of minimal use.
Much like the gas crisis of the 1970's ushered in the notion of a need for alternative energy sources the threat of global warming has prompted people to look for both increased domestic oil drilling and for the need to expand windpower potential. While domestic drilling may have its benefits (it also has two major disadvantages) it would be best to expand alternative energy methods, like windpower as well.
Looking at Oil Drilling
When it comes to the drilling of oil domestically, many people look at the environmental problems that may be inherent. While this may be true, even if domestic drilling was increased there is still the problem that people may not invest into exploratory oil drilling due to the costs involved.
For example, if one wished to drill for oil off the coast of Florida not only would the drills need to be built and placed out on the sea, it is widely understood that there is no oil to be found anywhere above 7 miles below the "floor" of ocean off the coast. That means, $100 million dollars would need to be spent before even arriving at the point to really begin drilling for oil.
Furthermore, there is no guarantee that oil will be found. As such, the need for windpower as an alternative for common fossil fuel energy sources is critical.
Windpower Farms
For those not familiar how large scale windpower is harnessed, this is usually done in the form of wind farms. These windpower farms are essentially large scale areas that are comprised of a number of modern day windmills that harness windpower and then start the process of converting it into electricity.
This is a cheap and effective method of converting natural sources into electricity. However, do to the fact that the volume of wind farms is relatively limited in size and scope. As such, the ability to completely harness the full potential of windpower has not even come close to being tapped.
Also these windpower turbines are gigantic creating an unsightly horizon wherever they are placed. Windpower turbines also only produce power 1/8 of the time that they are running, unless they are in very windy climate, like Scotland.
In time, however, it is probably more than likely that windpower will imporve and gain in popularity as more public demand for alternative means of energy becomes required. This will lead, hopefully, to more windpower farms and more expansive utilization of windpower as an energy source.
Gas is expensive and running out. We need to find a way to use alternative energy so we stop depleting our resources. We need to harness the power of the sun, wind and water in order to power our homes, and we need to find a way to finance the whole thing without using private investors, who seldom want to take the risk of investing in new industries with high costs.
Until the financial problems are solved, I don't see windpower or other alternative energy sources hitting the mainstream any time soon.
Madison Greene is like anyone else. She is interested in saving the planet and finding alternatives for depleting natural resources. Let Madison introduce you to a way you can safely make your own alternative fuel at home for less than one dollar a gallon. To learn how you can save money and the planet visit: www.LearnToMakeBioDiesel.com Article Source: ArticlesBase.com
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Does Obama Think that Windpower Tripling the Price of Heating a Home is Good for Elderly, Poor & Working...?
... families?
It's actually worse. You can heat a home at about 5cents/kwh equivalent with natural gas and fuel oil. Windpower will cost about 25cents/kwh.
This won't hurt the elderly too badly. Will it?
What will families have to give up: food? college? visiting relatives? christmas? medicines? research into better healthcare? protection against terrorists? heat in schools? air conditioning for the elderly?
Will UAW workers need to get 150% of salary when they are laid off?
Prices: PECO... go to the website.
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Is it about time to pull the plug on windpower? Can taxpayers afford another ethanol boondoggle?
?According to a recent report by the National Renewable Technology Laboratory (DOE), wind energy could account for 20 percent of the nation's electricity by 2030. To reach this target, wind turbines would have to produce 300,000 MW of power or 1,000,000 MW installed capacity. The 500,000 plus wind turbines would cost the taxpayers between $5-7 trillion.
The DOE report also states that the 20 percent of electricity from wind power would be the same as that now produced by nuclear power plants. Currently, there are 104 nuclear power plants in the United States that generate over 97,000 MW. Nuclear plants operate at 90 percent capacity compared to 30-33 percent for wind farms (ERCOT).
For a comparable amount of electricity output, a nuclear power plant requires approximately 50 acres of land vs. 80,000 acres of land for wind farms -- 1,600 times the land usage for wind generated power! For the same or less taxpayer money, why not put those taxpayer dollars into more nuclear power plants and protect our natural environment from the thousands of square miles of industrial wind turbines dotting the landscape?
Another argument often cited by the pro-wind advocates is the United States will be less dependent upon foreign oil. Let's clear up this issue right now: No more than 2 percent of the generation of electricity comes from oil.
Can we actually imagine our being held hostage to foreign oil producers over this 2 percent -- ridiculous!
According to Thomas Tanton, President, T & Associates, Environmental Fellow, Pacific Research Institute, a wind turbine would have to produce at 100 percent of its capacity nonstop for up to seven years just to offset the CO2 emissions caused by the installation of the concrete base upon which it is erected. This would suggest that it may take as many as 20 plus years to break even on the CO2 emissions.?
http://www.reporternews.com/news/2008/jun/07/no-headline---patricia_lapoint/
Dana, the whole point is that nuke power delivers more bang for the buck over the long haul.
The Wind - advocates publish only partial information.... in an effort to convince taxpayers/consumers that wind power is some angelic, pristine energy source that has minimal impact on our environment. This is simply not true.... AND.... it (windpower) is terribly expensive.... just as ethanol has been and continues to be (as you... of all people should know) ..... with no environmental benefit.
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How to make a town more environment?
i'm creating a town that is about 30000people and provide those people with the necessary goods, services, homes and employment so that they are not dependent upon a large city.
i want to know how can i make this town more environment such as using windpower and grow more trees...
explain please ;D ty
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