Wind Turbines – Solutions for Achieving Drawdown, Part 3.

Cheaper than new coal or nuclear plants, free fuel and no emissions once built, wind energy is going to be huge!

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Note that I used wind "turbines" in the title here instead of wind "power". Picky people might point out that wave energy is also wind power and, in a less direct way, hydropower is linked to wind power since wind did the work of transporting that water uphill in the first place. Really picky people might say wind is really a form of solar power since it arises from temperature and pressure gradients caused primarily by energy from the sun. Not to get too far off track here, but biofuels and even fossil fuels are forms of stored solar energy as are the plants and animals you eat.

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Drawdown (a project I helped research) ranks wind as Solutions #2, #22, and #76 since it is divided into 3 solutions (onshore, offshore, and micro) and predicts we may be getting 27% of our electricity from wind by 2050. This project was designed to be somewhat conservative in terms of estimates in order to be scientifically and economically defensible, however it is quite likely they’ve underestimated the impact and potential of this energy source.

Falling implementation costs and the impact wind energy has on grid electricity prices make this a very attractive investment in many parts of the world. With offshore wind just starting to really take-off, wind energy will see additional benefits in terms efficiency, reliability, and cost due to having access to more constant wind sources and being located closer to the world’s populations centers along our coasts.

Wind is already the cheapest form of energy in town. New wind is cheaper (and more modular) than new coal or natural gas:

Check out Drawdown’s detailed summary and technical analysis on the concepts here:
http://www.drawdown.org/solutions/energy/wind-turbines-onshore
http://www.drawdown.org/solutions/energy/wind-turbines-offshore
http://www.drawdown.org/solutions/energy/micro-wind

Here is a photo of me freaking out about wind energy in Germany roughly 25 years ago:

Feel free to check out my other posts on science, photography, volunteer computing, sustainability, cryptocurrencies with a purpose, and travel. Here are some of my favorites:

Sustainability and Climate

Demand-Side Response For Electric Grids – Solutions for Achieving Drawdown, Part 2.
Bamboo – Solutions for Achieving Drawdown, Part 1.
Renewable Energy Now Provides More Electricity Than Nuclear in the US
Affordable Grid-Scale Storage Is Coming. (And in some places it has already arrived)
Using Algae for Wastewater Treatment and Biofuel Production
Why Climate Progress Will Continue in the USA.
Six Non-tree Things Paper Can be Made From (I promise these are interesting)
Drawdown - The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming

Science, Volunteer Computing, and Gridcoin

Let Your Computer Dream About Science While You Sleep (& Earn Cryptocurrency For Doing So!)
Steemit Writers, Science Needs Your Help! Get the word out on how any computer or Android can boost research on cancer, astrophysics, clean energy & more!
The Best Volunteer Computing Screensavers – Crowdsourcing Project
Scientists of Steemit! Tell us about your research on #Science!
BOINC – Impressive Accomplishments and Incredible Potential

Photography and Travel

Hawaii – Lava and Plants
Death to Snowballs!
End of the Road – Lava!
Sunset Over Mt. Tamalpais, California
Toque Macaques in Polonnaruwa, Sri Lanka
Birds on San Francisco Bay – With GIFs
Elephant Seals of Año Nuevo State Park, California
My Favorite Places to Backpack in the US
Why You Should Visit Arkansas: Mountains, Rivers, Public Diamond Mines & Great Food!
Photo Sphere / 360 Photos - I use Google StreetView App, Any other Recommendations?
Sleepy Lizard