Activity 3.2.3 - Alternative Energy - Wind Energy

Alternative Energy (Wind Energy)

Alternative energy also known as renewable energy is usable energy obtained from replenishable sources such as solar energy, wind power, geothermal energy, hydroelectric power, tidal power, and biomass. They all have lower carbon emissions, compared to conventional energy sources. Alternative energy sources are renewable and are thought to be “free” energy sources.

Environmental and economic benefits using alternative energy can include generating energy that produces no greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels and reduces some types of air pollution. Alternative energy also creates economic development and jobs in manufacturing, installation, and more. Also by diversifying energy supply and reducing dependence on imported fuels. The alternative argument for using alternative energy includes how due to the growth of the world population and increasing wealth, demand for electricity is rising. There are also geographic limitations that include environmental factors that could prevent the dependency on alternative energy. Other arguments against alternative energy are the high cost of production, cannot provide sufficient energy, and alternative does not fulfill our needs. Alternative energy has gained much more popularity over the years and so, the arguments against it are always on the rise. Although there are many benefits that we get from having alternative energy, there are still many issues that need to be addressed to allow the outcome to be successful throughout our environment and ourselves as well. 

An alternative energy that I have chosen is wind energy. Wind energy is one of the most common types of renewable energy in the U.S. today and is one of our fastest-growing sources of electricity. The flow of wind produces kinetic energy, the kinetic energy then helps to rotate the turbine blades and that is how electricity is produced. However, even though there are environmental benefits for using wind energy, there are also some disadvantages. Let's first start off with the advantages to wind energy and how impactful it can be environmentally and economically. Advantages for wind energy is how clean and renewable the energy source is and how it will never run out. By generating electricity from wind, it doesn't result in greenhouse gas emissions. Wind naturally occurs in our atmosphere, so we don't have to worry about issues in the future. Another advantage for wind energy is it has low operating costs. As far as upfront costs go, wind farms or individual turbines can be expensive to install but once set up, it is beneficial to our environment. Disadvantages include how wind energy is intermittent which means it can be difficult to predict how much energy is being produced overtime depending on the weather. An article by EnergySage states, “This means wind energy isn’t always available for dispatch in times of peak electricity demand. In order to use wind energy exclusively, wind turbines need to be paired with some sort of energy storage technology” (EnergySage 1). It is important for us individuals to understand and know this information for miscommunications of future disadvantages. Another disadvantage is having negative impacts on their surrounding environments. The blades of a wind turbine are humongous and rotate at very high speeds and many species that fly into them can be killed and harmed. That is where limitations come in within wind energy and how constructions of wind farms can disrupt habitats of local species. If not conducted in a sustainable manner, a decrease in species within an area where wind turbines are created will create conflict. Overall, there are many forms of alternative energy and how it can be impactful to our environment in a positive or negative outcome. That is where we come in as individuals to prevent those negative outcomes by advising a positive resource for our environment and our health as well.

Work Cited:

Aggarawl, Vikram. “Wind Energy Pros and Cons.” EnergySage, EnergySage, 8 Oct. 2016, https://www.energysage.com/about-clean-energy/wind/pros-cons-wind-energy/

Bhatnagar, Keerti. “Arguments against Renewable Energy: A 2022 Outlook • Solar Funda.” Solar Funda, Solar Funda, 22 Jan. 2022, https://solarfunda.com/arguments-against-renewable-energy-2021-outlook/

Davison, Alan. “Alternative Energy.” Alternative Energy - Wind, Solar, Hydro and Other Alt Energy Sources for Commercial and Home Power, Alternative Energy Solutions, 8 Apr. 2018, https://www.altenergy.org/