flanigan.enery.water.spring.2010

__Energy and Water__

1. What is the problem at hand? The problem at hand is humans are destroying our atmosphere. The way we create our energy, to run our cars or to heat our homes, results in massive amounts of pollution. Scientists say that "Global Warming" is happening and finding an alternate way of producing energy is a necessity. The United States alone causes a quarter of the words pollution. The world does not have unlimited supplies of fossil fuels and also cannot take the pollution much longer, using an alternative way of producing energy like using wind power can do great help.

2. What is the driving force of the problem? The dependability we humans have of fossil fuels is the driving force of the problem. The world uses oil for everything and consume a little less than 100 million barrels a day. We need to slowly get less dependent on it and start to use more environmentally friendly ways to create energy.

3.What are people currently doing to solve this problem? Scientists and people are doing several things to turn this problem around. Cars are becoming more efficient using methods like fuel cells and figuring out how to run cars on hydrogen. Places all over the world are using solar, wind, and hydro means to create energy. These methods are very expensive to install and set up, but in the long run they are worth it and will save money and the environment. Wind turbines are quite efficient because once installed they require little to no maintenance. They almost cost nothing after the installment and they can produce massive amounts of free energy to power homes and businesses.

4.Wind Power



In order for the wind turbine to work, there obviously has to be wind. Wind is a form of solar energy; they are caused by the uneven heating of the atmosphere by the sun, the irregularities of the earth's surface, and rotation of the earth. The terms wind power and wind energy mean the process of which wind is converted to mechanical power or electricity. The wind turbine works the opposite of a fan, the wind hits the blade which spins the shaft that is hooked up to the generator. The turbine takes the kinetic energy of the wind and converts it into mechanical power, which in turn can be converted to electricity. The electricity is then sent through transmission and distribution lines to anywhere that needs the electricity.

6.Amount of CO2 produced? The only CO2 that the wind turbine would have caused would be in the production of the machine in the factory. After the building off the turbine no other Co2 is produced.

7. The amount of water it can generate or purify? none

8. Best aspects The best aspects of the wind turbine is the fact that it has rarely has maintenance and anything to put into it for it to run. So basically after the wind turbine is built is has little to none other expenses. Eventually it will pay itself off and start produces free electricity for anyone that has a wind turbine powering their needs.

9. Critics thoughts Many people and critics do have bad feelings about this almost free source of energy. The argument is that huge wind farms are ugly and ruin the country side. They also say the same thing about the wind farms in the ocean. It was a big debate for a while if they wanted to install a bunch of wind turbine in Nantucket Sound. This is the main thing that goes against the use of wind turbines.

10/11. How much of the world energy do they produce? Wind turbines do not really make up a lot of the worlds energy at the moment. I think people are scared to start using them and are afraid to. Although i do believe that the use of wind farms will pick up within the next ten or twenty years or so. They are extremely effective, but people are going to have to realize that they will be very helpful to our economy and a big step to a healthier environment.

13. //**Quotes "A new and necessary feature of our landscape**"// ,Mrs B Craddock, Isle of Wight //"**Visions of the future, give it 50 years and no-one will think twice when they see one**",// ED Pieniazec, Berkshire

14. Would they solve problems The wind turbines would help solve a lot of problems, it wouldn't cause too many. The only problem that the wind farm would cause would be excessive amounts of complaints about the site of them and how they are ruining the countryside. They would benefit a lot though as we would save energy and save money on several things.

15. Better on a larger scale To make these things better on a larger scale i would just make them bigger. I would make the farms bigger and the wind turbine itself. Also, you could find a more efficient way converting the wind power to mechanical power and electricity. There could be a more efficient generator or blades of the turbine to maximize the power output.

16. Who uses this energy source Many people use this technology. Our school, Mass Maritime has a huge wind turbine on campus. It produces a lot of our school energy. Many other businesses, neighborhoods, and colleges use it around the country and world.