Wind energy,
as a consistent part of modern energy production, has been used for many
centuries. At first, people appreciated wind speed and its directions for
navigation purposes, and then it was associated with windmills’ functioning and
grain milling. Modern age features the progress of science and technology that
allowed usage of wind premises in generation of electricity. In comparison to
fuel mining, this type of energy industry is based on more peaceful treatment
to nature, as far as wind energy is unlimited and there is no way to provide
significant pollutions or constitute a menace for species number.
In
developed countries big land spaces cannot stay without human activity.
Large areas appear to be perfect places for establishment of wind power stations. Despite the fact that their
neighborhood should not be inhabited by people (who would suffer from constant
noise of turbines), wind energy production does not keep farmers from their
work. In this context, large spaces around stations are often used for plants’
cultivation or other agricultural activity. However, in order to place a wind
turbine it is not necessary to occupy large territory; it can be constructed
everywhere, even within water surface, which features one more ecological
benefit (in addition to less effect on environment and limitless).
On the
contrary, some contradictions still might be presented, speaking of ecology of
wind energy.
First,
construction of wind turbines can enhance climate change. In particular, their
prime assignment, usage of air masses in motion, slightly reduces their speed,
which leads to a decrease of the average wind speed. It makes local climate
conditions more continental: air cools slowerin winter and air gets hot faster
in summer. Such a conversion is possible for those areas, where concentration
of wind turbines and plants is big – European continent, for example.
Second, another
consequence of wind speed decrease is less ventilation around big cities. As
one could guess, most of them deal with industrial undertakings, which
facilitate local pollution and contamination. Lower wind speed encourages
standstill of harmful substances and wastes in atmosphere. Therefore, an
establishment of wind energy stations is not recommended near urban areas.
Third, it
was already mentioned that wind power plant produce much noise, which is why
most of them change their perceived noise level during day/night period.
Fourth,
there is always a possibility of killing bird species, which get in blades of
windmill or turbine. Preventive measures and constructions are of big priority
in this case.
