Wind Power      11/1/05     Joshua Gibson

 HOW IT WORKS

The sun heats our atmosphere unevenly,so some patches become warmer than others. These hot spots of air make  gusts of air called wind. We feel a chilly breeze about us. We use the energy in the wind by using enormous buildings called wind farms. They have these massive propellers on the top. The wind pushes the propellers round to produce electricity. We try to build as many as we can together to produce more electricity. The more towers, the more wind, the more electricity we can produce.

ADVANTAGES

.      WIND IS FREE, WIND FARMS NEED NO FUEL

.      PRODUCES NO WASTE OR GREENHOUSE GASSES

.      THE LAND BENEATH CAN USUALLY STILL BE USED  FOR FARMING

.      WIND FARMS CAN ALSO BE TOURIST   ATTRACTIONS

.      A GOOD METHOD O F SUPPLYING ENERGY TO  REMOTE AREAS

The best places for wind farms are in coastal areas, at the tops of rounded hills, open plains and gaps in mountains - places where the wind is strong and reliable. To be worthwhile, you need an average wind speed of around 25 km/h. Most wind farms in the UK are in Cornwall, Wales and Scotland.

DISADVANTAGES

THE WIND IS NOT ALWAYS PREDICTABLE-SOME  DAYS HAVE NO WIND SUITIBLE AREAS FOR WIND FARMS ARE OFTEN NEAR THE COAST, WHERE LAND IS EXPENSIVE

SOME PEOPLE FEEL THAT COVERING THE LANDSCAPE WITH THESE TOWERS IS UNSIGHTLY

CAN KILL BIRDS- MIGRATING FLOCKS TEND TO LIKE  STRONG WINDS

CAN AFFECT TELEVISION RECEPTION IF YOU LIVE NEARBY

NOISY, A WIND GENERATER MAKES A CONSTANT   LOW “WOOSHING” NOISE DAY AND NIGHT, WHICH  CAN DRIVE YOU NUTS. AN ENTIRE WIND FARM  MAKES QUITE A RACKET. THEN AGAIN THE SMALL MODERN WIND GENERATORS USED ON BOATS AND CARAVANS MAKE HARDLY ANY NOISE.

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