Lassoing the Wind to Power the World
In order for humanity to continue to thrive, it is critical to find alternative sources of renewable, virtually inexhaustible energy. Wind energy conversion is a viable option and one that does not add stress to the ecosystem of this great planet Earth. Although fossil fuel is currently in abundance, the eventual reduction of these sources of energy will cause a quick increase in price. We can no longer make do with fossil fuels and Middle Eastern oils, and there is the real threat of global warming, which is well proven and is quickly becoming a priority issue in environmentalist circles. The federal government’s involvement in wind energy research began full steam following the Arab Oil Crisis of 1973, however it was slow to show results due to political factors and lack of financial support. Wind energy is in abundance, is renewable, clean, and limits toxic greenhouse gas emissions when used to replace fossil fuel electricity.
In the not too distant future, energy derived from the wind will be the most cost effective way to harness electrical power. It is not really known what the true cost of the fossil fuel life cycle is, from mining/extraction to the transportation, including political costs, but certainly it is more than the current wholesale rates. Commercial wind turbines are now harnessing energy in more than 65 countries, which makes wind power the world’s quickest growing source of energy after solar power. Recently, the U.S. Department of Energy released their first Annual Report on U.S. Wind Power Installation Cost and Performance Trends: 2006. This report provides a comprehensive look at the developing trends in the wind power market in the United States. A significant finding the Report found out is that the U.S. wind power capacity increased by 27 percent in 2006; and that the U.S. had the fastest growing wind power volume in the world in 2005 and 2006. More than 61 percent of the U.S.’s total wind capacity - over 7,300 Megawatts (MW) - has been installed since President Bush took office in 2001. For the second straight year, in 2006, the U.S. led the world by installing 2,454 MW of wind power capacity, enough to provide energy in the homes of a city the size of Philadelphia. The U.S. produced roughly 16 percent of the worldwide wind market, followed by Germany, India, Spain, and China. The recent Report looks at trends in the marketplace, which include wind power prices compared to wholesale electricity prices, project costs, turbine sizes, and developer consolidation. In addition, it also describes the increasing performance of wind projects, current ownership and financing structures, and trends among major wind power purchasers. By compiling this information in one document, the report provides an important resource to industry participants, energy regulators, and state and local policymakers.
Modern wind power is made in the form of electricity, by converting turbine blades into electrical current with the use of an electrical generator. The older technology employed with windmills used wind energy to turn mechanical machinery to do physical labor such as pumping water. Wind power on wind farms is used on a large scale for national electrical grids, and also for with smaller individual turbines to give electricity to rural residences. While there is a need for refinement and improvements in the area of harnessing wind power, the major technology developments that will provide commercialization of wind power have already begun. Certainly, the outlook for change is looking bright, and it is inevitable that environmentalists, politicians, and the public will eagerly more forward in insuring that technology continually finds a way to provide a renewable source of energy in wind power.
The Effect of Erosion on our Earth
Soil is removed naturally by ocean currents, water, ice, wind or living organisms and is called erosion. This displacement of soil, mud, rock and other particles has been occurring for over 450 million years. This is a downward movement in response to gravity. Erosion is a natural process and can be healthy for the ecosystem, but oftentimes is made worse by human use such as deforestation/removal of vegetation, overgrazing, unmanaged construction or building of roads. Improved land use techniques such as terrace-building and tree planting can limit erosion. Excessive erosion can produce trouble such as ecosystem damage, loss of soil and receiving water sedimentation. The effects of erosion is sometimes linked to overpopulation
Generally speaking, erosion removes soil at approximately the same rate that soil is formed. However, increased soil erosion at a much faster rate that it is formed is a recent problem and has always due to mankind’s actions which leave the land unprotected and vulnerable. Coupled with naturally occurring erosive rainfalls or windstorms makes erosion a huge environmental issue. This occurs in both agricultural/farming areas as well as the natural environment. The effects of erosion impact two places, on-site (where the soil has become detached), as well as off-site (where the eroded soil goes).
With the use of today’s powerful farming tools in parts of the world the damage of soil is called tillage erosion. Soil erosion must be studied over short term and long-term timespans, since it is affected by both common and rare events, which can make it difficult to understand. The large storms cause deep gullies, which are obvious, but erosion due to smaller events can seem of no consequence when in fact there is a cumulative effect over the long term.
A main impact from erosion is the reduction of soil quality. Crops are especially reliant on the upper portion of the soil, which is susceptible to erosion from water and wind. This, in turn causes loss of nutrient rich upper layers of soil, as well as the reduction in water holding capacity of eroded soils. Erosion removes the “cream of the soil”. In countries with more affluence this accelerated water erosion problem can be fought against with the use of artificial fertilizers and technology, but in the poorer countries this is not an option. Loss of soil is a long term problem. Globally, the most serious consequence of erosion is the threat to long term sustainability of agricultural productivity.
Guesses on the relationship between soil erosion and crop productivity are made only at the plot scale and do not allow for general conclusions due to the large variability in outcomes. Monitoring the effects of erosion on yields is impossible since erosion is generally a gradual process and because of the long time-spans involved, its effect on productivity is often obscured. The risk of thwarting the effect of erosion on productivity, as erosion is a spatially variable process, it will have a considerable effect on the water availability and soil depth in certain locations but not in others, causing land uses that put a high demand on soil and soil water to migrate to areas with lower erosion rates. However, this will only happen in areas where the impact of erosion on productivity is significant, i.e. where erosion rates are high, and general productivity is low. The destructive impact of erosion is well known in developing countries such as Africa and Asia, but even in the prosperous countries there is a huge environmental concern. Erosion caused by water is a serious issue in Austria, New Zealand, Southern and Eastern Europe as well as some part of the United States.