Environmental Problems, Their Causes, and Sustainability 1

The DOE calls the Great Plains states of Oklahoma,South Dakota, North Dakota, Kansas, Nebraska, andTexas the “Saudi Arabia of wind” and points out thatthey have enough wind resources to more than meetall the nation’s electricity needs. According to theAmerican Wind Energy Association, with increasedand consistent government subsidies and tax breaks,wind power could produce almost a fourth of U.S. electricityby 2025.Agrowing number of U.S. farmers and ranchersmake more money by leasing their land for windpower production than by growing crops or raisingcattle. This explains why many of them are joining environmentalistsand wind industry executives in urgingpolitical leaders to increase government researchand development and tax breaks for wind power.Figure 18-24 lists the advantages and disadvantagesof using wind to produce electricity. Accordingto energy analysts, wind power has more advantagesand fewer serious disadvantages than any other energyresource. Between the 1980s and 2004, the cost ofwind-generated electricity dropped ninefold from36¢ to about 4¢ per kilowatt-hour at favorable windsites. This is about the same price as using coal,natural gas, and hydropower (at highly favorablesites) to produce electricity and three times cheaperthan nuclear power. Wind power is like an underdogracehorse that is beginning to break out of apack of other, more pampered (subsidized) energyracehorses.If wind turbines are mass-produced like automobiles,the cost for a kilowatt of wind-generated energycould drop to 1–2 cents, making it by far the cheapestway to produce electricity. Many governments andcorporations are recognizing that there is money inwind. Do the math. The average price of electricity inthe United States in 2003 was 7.2¢ per kilowatt-hour. Ifwind companies can produce a kilowatt of electricityat about 4¢ now, and in the not-too-distant future, for1.5–2¢, the potential profits are huge. This explainswhy General Electric, one of the world’s largest multinationalcompanies, recently decided to get into windpower.Some critics allege that wind turbines suck largenumbers of birds into their wind stream. However, aslong as wind farms are not located along bird migrationroutes most birds learn to fly around them. Windpower developers now make sophisticated studies ofbird migration paths to help them locate onshore andoffshore wind parks and are designing new turbines toreduce this problem.Also, studies have shown that much larger numbersof birds die when they are sucked into jet engines,killed by domesticated and feral cats, and crash intoskyscrapers, plate glass windows, communicationstowers, and car windows.AdvantagesModerate to highnet energyHigh efficiencyModerate capitalcostLow electricitycost (and falling)Very low environmentalimpactNo CO 2 emissionsQuick constructionEasily expandedCan be located atseaLand below turbinescan be used to growcrops or graze livestockT rade-OffsWind PowerDisadvantagesSteady windsneededBackup systemsneeded whenwinds are lowHigh land usefor wind farmVisual pollutionNoise when locatednear populatedareasMay interfere inflights of migratorybirds and killbirds of preyFigure 18-24 Trade-offs: advantages and disadvantagesof using wind to produce electricity. Wind power expertsproject that by 2025 wind power could supply more than 10%of the world’s electricity and 10–25% of the electricity usedin the United States. Pick the single advantage and the singledisadvantage that you think are the most important.Even larger numbers of birds, fish, and otherforms of wildlife are killed by oil spills, air pollution,water pollution, and release of toxic wastes from useof fossil fuels such as coal and oil. The key questionsare, Which types of energy resources lead to the lowestloss of wildlife? and How can we minimize loss ofwildlife from use of any energy resource?xHOW WOULD YOU VOTE? Should we greatly increaseour dependence on wind power? Cast your vote online athttp://biology.brookscole.com/miller14.18-6 PRODUCING ENERGYFROM BIOMASSHow Is Biomass Used to ProvideEnergy? Burning Carbon CompoundsPlant materials and animal wastes can be burnedto provide heat or electricity or converted intogaseous or liquid biofuels.http://biology.brookscole.com/miller14397