The Wind Farm Debate

Government targets state that 10% of the UK’s energy should be supplied by renewable resources by 2010 and developments like the Saddleworth Moor turbines would contribute towards that total.

Leading environmentalists from across the country have previously convened in Saddleworth for the first ever National Forum opposing the creation of wind farms on rural beauty spots.

World renowned TV botanist, Professor David Bellamy, joined former Downing Street press secretary, Sir Bernard Ingham and hundreds of activists at the National Wind Farm Group Conference. There were a total of representatives from over 50 environmental groups from across the country attending this event. It aimed to raise awareness about the perceived dangers of wind farms and bring environmental groups closer together in their fight against the government.

The Saddleworth Moors Action Group says the turbines would have a negative impact on a unique landscape. The group also insist their campaign is not prompted by “not in my backyard” sentiments, but through a genuine desire to preserve the character of the local area.

These will generate enough power to supply the average electricity needs of 8,500 homes in the local area. This wind farm is not situated out to sea but in the picturesque hills of the Saddleworth Moors and would be visible for miles around. Government targets state that 10% of the UK’s energy should be supplied by renewable resources by 2010 and developments like the Saddleworth Moor turbines would contribute towards that total. Leading environmentalists from across the country have previously convened in Saddleworth for the first ever National Forum opposing the creation of wind farms on rural beauty spots.

World renowned TV botanist, Professor David Bellamy, joined former Downing Street press secretary, Sir Bernard Ingham and hundreds of activists at the National Wind Farm Group Conference. There were a total of representatives from over 50 environmental groups from across the country attending this event. It aimed to raise awareness about the perceived dangers of wind farms and bring environmental groups closer together in their fight against the government.

The Saddleworth Moors Action Group says the turbines would have a negative impact on a unique landscape. The group also insist their campaign is not prompted by “not in my backyard” sentiments, but through a genuine desire to preserve the character of the local area.

One could argue that the government is not bothered about the environment then they are continually financing the construction of coal fired power stations in the third world and building more airports and more motorways in Britain?

Are wind farms a concerted effort to save the environment or just another commercial money making scheme for the companies involved?

David Oglaza is the founder of the Green and Ethical directory GuideMeGreen . You can view a range of green energy providers at his site

Article Source: Renewable Energy Articles

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Wind powered turbines are one of the most trusted kinds of green power sources on the planet. They are made to generate power by converting the kinetic energy of the wind into mechanical energy, which is then either harnessed directly (in the case of windmills, for example, which were used to make flour from grain, or to pump water for irrigation) or coupled directly to a generator that generates a DC electrical output that can be used in a more general sense. In this article I will be talking about the kind of wind turbines that output electrical energy, as this is the most useful to us in our daily lives.

Wind turbines are basically large windmills, with huge blades that spin in the wind and make power by converting the winds force. Wind turbines are manufactured using fiberglass, aluminium, carbon fiber along with numerous other space age metals.

Wind turbines have many pronounced negative impacts on the environment. They are very visible, and quite unsightly since they must be located in close proximity to windy, fairly open terrain to be feasible - efforts to position them offshore have been greeted with great success. They require energy in their manufacture, energy which is typically fossil-based, and therefore it takes considerable amount of time before they are net-negative in terms of total greenhouse gas emissions - this timeframe can be anywhere from four to five years. Turbines are linked to the killing of birds that can be shredded as they pass between the turbine blades during transitory passages although this issue is heavily debated.

With all of the negatives aside, wind turbines should be a choice when speaking about a broad plan for sustainable power. Once up and running, wind turbines are very efficient in a larger sense - they produce power from a natural, eco-friendly renewable resource, without the hidden social or environmental costs that we incur in the use of fossil fuels - theres no need to mine the fuel or to transport it - there are no byproducts generated, and no need to store, treat, or to dispose of toxic wastes.

At the small end of the scale, turbines can be as tiny as four feet in diameter and might be capable of only a few hundred watts. On the large end of the spectrum, turbines can be as huge as three hundred feet in diameter and are capable of generating 3 to four megawatts of power.

Similar to photovoltaic solar power generation, there may well be funding available to induce construction, and power in excess of that which we are utilizing can be sold back to the utility company.

Wind speed is affected by terrain and increases with height above the ground, so wind turbines are generally installed on top of large towers. In a typical application, the wind turbine sits on top of a tall tower and generates direct current which is used to charge a battery store - this stored power is ultimately utilized by flowing it through an inverter that transforms the direct current power into utility voltage alternating current energy that can be used in household applications. By positioning numerous turbines into wind farms a substantial amount of electricity can be stored and harnessed, perhaps for a whole city or town.

Due to the fact that the wind does not blow all of the time in many areas, wind turbines are used in hybrid systems with many different technologies like photovoltaic solar panels, batteries, and diesel generators to provide a consistent source of power.

Unlike fossil-fuel stations, wind turbines are clean - they dont create the carbon dioxide emissions that are thought to be causing global warming or the sulfur dioxide emissions that cause acid rain.

Todays wind turbines are divided into 2 major categories, namely horizontal axis turbines and vertica axis turbines. Todays horizontal axis wind turbines are actually far superior at capturing the wind than vertical axis turbines given the same amount of swept area (which is the size of the circle traced by the outside tip of the blades).

By: Peter Bakersfield

Wind Power Articles

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These will generate enough power to supply the average electricity needs of 8,500 homes in the local area. This wind farm is not situated out to sea but in the picturesque hills of the Saddleworth Moors and would be visible for miles around. Government targets state that 10% of the UK’s energy should be supplied by renewable resources by 2010 and developments like the Saddleworth Moor turbines would contribute towards that total. Leading environmentalists from across the country have previously convened in Saddleworth for the first ever National Forum opposing the creation of wind farms on rural beauty spots.

World renowned TV botanist, Professor David Bellamy, joined former Downing Street press secretary, Sir Bernard Ingham and hundreds of activists at the National Wind Farm Group Conference. There were a total of representatives from over 50 environmental groups from across the country attending this event. It aimed to raise awareness about the perceived dangers of wind farms and bring environmental groups closer together in their fight against the government.

The Saddleworth Moors Action Group says the turbines would have a negative impact on a unique landscape. The group also insist their campaign is not prompted by “not in my backyard” sentiments, but through a genuine desire to preserve the character of the local area.

One could argue that the government is not bothered about the environment then they are continually financing the construction of coal fired power stations in the third world and building more airports and more motorways in Britain?

Are wind farms a concerted effort to save the environment or just another commercial money making scheme for the companies involved?

Article Source: http://www.articlegarden.com/

David Oglaza is the founder of the Green and Ethical directory GuideMeGreen . This growing green resource lists 100s of Organic, Fairtrade, Eco and Ethical companies. Green jobs and a discussion board coming soon!

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