Wednesday, August 10, 2005
Everyone knows it's Windy
I love the thought of living in a wind powered home. I have visions of sitting on the porch having my morning coffee in the shadow of the blades of my own windmill. Of course this house will be on Orcas Island because where else would one find paradise? (Now, whether Orcas Island has any available building sites that would be well suited for a wind-powered home, I don't know. This is my dream so let's just run with it.)
This research done by Stanford University shows the availability of wind power world wide...Just look at all that unused energy!!!
Can you imagine a cleaner, more eco-friendly way to live? Our planet is constantly embraced by the arms of our winds, who needs dead dinosaurs when the air around us can provide all the energy we need to power our homes? Add in a solar panel or two and voila! We are once again living in harmony with our planet.
Now I'm not naive, I realize that there is a great deal of money spent by the energy and automotive industries in order to ensure our continued reliance on fossil fuels. I know that the technology is in it's infancy and needs to be developed. But imagine for just one moment a world where our energy needs are met by the very things that we can find in our own backyards. Imagine air without pollution and a Middle East without war.
If I ever win the lottery I can tell you where my money is going. I'll be investing in the survival of our planet. I can only hope that we will learn the necessary lessons before it is too late.
This research done by Stanford University shows the availability of wind power world wide...Just look at all that unused energy!!!
Can you imagine a cleaner, more eco-friendly way to live? Our planet is constantly embraced by the arms of our winds, who needs dead dinosaurs when the air around us can provide all the energy we need to power our homes? Add in a solar panel or two and voila! We are once again living in harmony with our planet.
Now I'm not naive, I realize that there is a great deal of money spent by the energy and automotive industries in order to ensure our continued reliance on fossil fuels. I know that the technology is in it's infancy and needs to be developed. But imagine for just one moment a world where our energy needs are met by the very things that we can find in our own backyards. Imagine air without pollution and a Middle East without war.
If I ever win the lottery I can tell you where my money is going. I'll be investing in the survival of our planet. I can only hope that we will learn the necessary lessons before it is too late.
posted by GodlessMom, 6:02 AM
8 Comments:
BarbaraFromCalifornia said:
Posted at 8:43 AM
Watson Woodworth said:
It's interesting that our "moral" conservatives persue an energy policy that displays their total lack of humility.
Wind and solar power are a humble way to glean energy from the earth.
Wind and solar power are a humble way to glean energy from the earth.
Posted at 3:47 PM
The Lazy Iguana said:
There is more to the issue than if the wind is blowing.
Wind power plants require predictible, steady winds. This means that the wind should come from pretty much the same direction all the time. This rules out Florida! Wind changes here too often. Also, sometimes it gets calm. Dead calm.
Wind plants also require large tracts of land. So in congested regions (New England for example)this is a problem. There is no more land left to build stuff on without going after parks or wild areas.
And the wind plants might chop up birdies, like manatees in a propeller. I do not have a problem with this, all birds do is poop on things. How much tax money is wasted cleaning bird poop off public buildings and art??!?!?
So the technology has some bugs to work out still. It is used now, Florida Power And Light has made large investments in wind plants located in Texas and somewhere in the Rockies.
And cars will be using oil for some time to come. Electric cars lack any real range. Hydrogen cars are a long way from mass production. And even then, there is a net energy loss in hydrogen because it takes more energy to split water than you get from burning hydrogen. At best, it is a break even issue.
And then there are airplanes. Jet engines need jet fuel. Hydrogen will not make a jet fly. Nor will batteries.
Wind power plants require predictible, steady winds. This means that the wind should come from pretty much the same direction all the time. This rules out Florida! Wind changes here too often. Also, sometimes it gets calm. Dead calm.
Wind plants also require large tracts of land. So in congested regions (New England for example)this is a problem. There is no more land left to build stuff on without going after parks or wild areas.
And the wind plants might chop up birdies, like manatees in a propeller. I do not have a problem with this, all birds do is poop on things. How much tax money is wasted cleaning bird poop off public buildings and art??!?!?
So the technology has some bugs to work out still. It is used now, Florida Power And Light has made large investments in wind plants located in Texas and somewhere in the Rockies.
And cars will be using oil for some time to come. Electric cars lack any real range. Hydrogen cars are a long way from mass production. And even then, there is a net energy loss in hydrogen because it takes more energy to split water than you get from burning hydrogen. At best, it is a break even issue.
And then there are airplanes. Jet engines need jet fuel. Hydrogen will not make a jet fly. Nor will batteries.
Posted at 5:21 PM
Fred said:
With oil prices headed north on a daily basis, companies will begin to look more at these types of innovations.
Let's hope they speed it up before some idiot dictator yanks our supply of oil.
Let's hope they speed it up before some idiot dictator yanks our supply of oil.
Posted at 5:38 PM
Lila said:
Good post. Wind power is becoming more and more feasible and they've worked out most kinks. Wind turbines can go a lot of places, actually. There are two in Boston, in spite of congestion. It's more do-able than people think.
Posted at 6:14 PM
Zeppellina said:
Excellent post, Godlessmom!
Scotland has plenty of wind! Also, we have lots of coastline, where windfarms could be off-shore too, but it is amazing the resistance people have to them.
Personally, I think that we have to find other sources of power soon, and agree that wind and wave power have to be given a try.
There is a big wind farm scheduled to be built up North, but it has met with a lot of protests.
Obviously, as the lazy iguana said, there are problems to be solved, in terms of where they are placed, so that they do not harm bird and wildlife, but there are areas where they can be located that solve these problems.
A lot of people are of the `not on my back door` frame of mind, but safe power is something so important that we have to educate people into the idea of it.
Strange really, its more difficult to get permission for an off shore wind farm than it is to stick a dirty big oil rig offshore!!
I think you have a wonderful vision there, and like Barbara, I would want to join you there too!!
Scotland has plenty of wind! Also, we have lots of coastline, where windfarms could be off-shore too, but it is amazing the resistance people have to them.
Personally, I think that we have to find other sources of power soon, and agree that wind and wave power have to be given a try.
There is a big wind farm scheduled to be built up North, but it has met with a lot of protests.
Obviously, as the lazy iguana said, there are problems to be solved, in terms of where they are placed, so that they do not harm bird and wildlife, but there are areas where they can be located that solve these problems.
A lot of people are of the `not on my back door` frame of mind, but safe power is something so important that we have to educate people into the idea of it.
Strange really, its more difficult to get permission for an off shore wind farm than it is to stick a dirty big oil rig offshore!!
I think you have a wonderful vision there, and like Barbara, I would want to join you there too!!
Posted at 9:07 AM
Urban Chick said:
as zepellina says, there is a lot of wind around the UK but sadly wind power alone won't be the answer...
still, mr chick and i put a little dosh into alternative energies (hasn't done well, it has to be said, but we are looking at the LONG term!!)
and our next car is going to be a hybrid - very exciting!!
still, mr chick and i put a little dosh into alternative energies (hasn't done well, it has to be said, but we are looking at the LONG term!!)
and our next car is going to be a hybrid - very exciting!!
Posted at 4:26 PM
said:
Wait! I've been told by my wife how much hot air I blow! She agreed...I can sustain an island. :)
Posted at 6:09 PM
About Me
- Name: GodlessMom
- Location: Houston, Texas, United States
I was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah. I've been happily married for ten years to someone I've known since I was eleven years old. We are the parents of a wonderful four year old girl.
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Can I join you on Orcas island?
Thanks for the beautiful images this morning.