Wind Energy

T. Boone Pickens is a man who not only has a vision; he has a plan. He is a Texas billionaire who, ironically, made his billions in the oil business. Now he is pushing what he calls, the Pickens Plan. The Pickens Plan (www.pickensplan.com) describes his plan to use wind energy to replace 20% of the American use of electricity in the coming 10 years.

T. Boone shows how our dependence on foreign oil has grown out of all proportion. In 1970, 24% of all foreign oil used was imported; in 1990, that figure rose to 42%; and, now in 2008, the United States imports 70% of its oil. That amounts to $700 billion dollars a year spent on foreign oil – that’s 4 times the annual cost of the Iraqi war.

It has been shown that the while the United States of America has only 4% of world population; it uses 25% of the oil. A plan is definitely needed.

T. Boone Pickens has predicted that if the U.S. could replace the 22% of electricity currently supplied by natural gas and replace it with wind energy, the U.S. could save approximately $3 billion a year. He suggests moving the 22% of energy created by natural gas into the transportation portion of energy allotment. Natural gas is the cleanest form of natural energy, so far, for long-distance transportation of goods.

He further predicts that if things are left the way they are the cost of purchasing foreign oil in 10 years will be $10 trillion – the greatest transfer of wealth in the history of mankind.

T. Boone Pickens stands behind his claim that the United States is the Saudi Arabia of wind power.

He points to the fact that world-wide studies have shown the Great Plains States (extending into Canada) has the greatest wind energy potential in the world. The Department of Energy has agreed that this wind corridor can provide 20% of America’s electricity. In fact, North Dakota alone has the potential to supply wind-derived electricity to over ¼ of America. Pretty amazing stuff!! Don’t forget – Canada has this same potential as the wind corridor extends into Canada from the Great Plains States.

A study done by Stanford University in 2005 shows that there is enough wind power worldwide to generate 7 times the energy needed. This amazing fact becomes even more amazing when you realize that the study was based on only 20% of this wind power being captured and harnessed. A 3-megawatt wind turbine produces enough energy in one year to replace 12, 000 barrels of imported oil.

The cost to build a wind farm in this corridor that stretches from the Texas panhandle to North Dakota does not come cheap; however, it is a one-time cost. It would cost $1 trillion to build the farm and another $200 billion to build the infrastructure necessary to transmit that energy from the wind farm to the ultimate destination our residential homes. It won’t take many years at $700 billion a year to recoup this money and more.

ADVANTAGES:

• Creation of new construction and maintenance jobs
• Thousands of locals will be employed in the building of these wind farms. These are high-paying, highly-skilled jobs on a par with aerospace jobs
• No threat to farming and/or grazing so there is no threat to human health, animal health, local food production and/or existing local economies
• Natural gas now used to produce electricity can be used in the transport business. Natural gas emissions are 23% lower than diesel and 30% lower than gasoline, according the California Energy Commission, making it the cleanest transportation fuel available today
• Once the turbine is built, the energy it produces does not create any green-house gases or any other pollutant
• Many people love the look of a wind farm
• Could be a tourist attraction
• Areas to which electricity has NOT found its way can use wind turbines to produce their own
  Wind turbines come in many shapes and sizes making them available to everyone from a single household to and entire village or town
• Doesn’t contribute to acid rain
• It is one of the cheapest sources of renewable energy technologies
• Wind energy requires very little maintenance (approx. 40 hours/year – 20 hours twice yearly)
  

DISADVANTAGES:

• Wind speed is not constant and there are days when it does not blow at all
• Many people find the sight of a wind farm to be a blot on the landscape
• The turning of the blades is noisy. They produce a swooshing sound equivalent to the sound of a family car traveling 70 mph. This noise is produced as long as the blades are turning – this means nighttime as well
• There is pollution involved in the manufacturing of wind turbines
• Suitable areas for wind farms are often near a coast or shoreline where the property is very expensive
• Capable of killing birds - good knowledge of migratory routes is essential
• Can affect TV reception if you live nearby
• Wind turbines may cause loss of habitat to wildlife due to the disturbance from its noise, movement of blades, subtle food chain changes and electromagnetic fields. The electromagnetic fields can affect the sonar systems of some animal species

Just in case you think the use of wind power is a new technology, think tulips and wooden shoes. The Babylonians and Chinese used wind technologies to pump the water for irrigating their crops inland 4,000 years ago; what about, sailing ships, paragliding…….

Saving Money AND the Environment

Well, it doesn't get much better than this, does it? Saving money and the environment. Since this blog is still in its infancy, I thought I would start with tips we may or may not be familiar with.

1. Take an empty 1 litre plastic bottle, fill it with water, cap it securely and place in the toilet tank. By doing this, you are displacing 1 litre of water that will not be used per flush. Most people don't realize (until it's pointed out to them) that the same quality of water you use in your toilet is the same quality water that you drink from your kitchen tap. Yup!! If it were not for the container it comes in, you could drink your toilet water.

So what does this mean for us consumers? It means that unless we change the way we handle some of our water delivery, we will literally be flushing good, drinkable water down the toilet.

Our water-processing plants have a finite limit on the amount of water they are able to process without building new plants. Unless we conserve water where we can, we could soon be experiencing the kind of water conservation problems that places like California are having.

Not only does this tip save the environment 1 litre a flush; but, it also helps to reduce the risk of the toilet overflowing as less water is being circulated. If you are living in a place that charges you for water, you'll save a little there too.

2. Start checking out water-saving shower heads immediately. Again, another incidence of water literally going down the drain. Water-saving shower heads work by mixing air in with the water. This allows for less water without having to extend shower time.

Some of these heads have managed to reduce the amount of water they use to 1.5 gallons per minute. This a water saving of at least 1 gpm. They can use up to 1/3 less water and 6% less energy. For a family of four these water and energy savings can be approx. $600.00 a year. WOW!!

3. Let's talk electricity for a moment. Our electric power is in somewhat the same position our water power is in. While we have all the water we need to make the electricity in most places, what is missing are the power plants to process it.

While we all know about turning off lights (and TV) when we leave a room, using lower wattage, energy-saving bulbs, etc.; how many of us have thought about the "ghost" electricity used by instant-on appliances. For every instant-on appliance we have uses electricity whether it is turned on or off. This is the "ghost" electricity used to keep it in an "instant-on" mode. Electricity we don't see being used.

The solution is as simple as a power bar. Plug these energy pigs into a power bar that you can turn off at night. You will have to wait a moment or two for these appliances to power up; but, the environment will thank you.

4. Save electricity when baking and/or cooking with these tips.

• when using your oven, try to bake as many things as possible at one time. When roasting chicken and vegetables on the top rack, try baking the cherry pie for tomorrow's dessert on the bottom rack.
• turn the oven off 15 mins. before the items are thoroughly cooked. Leave the oven closed for the next 1/2 hour. Do NOT open the door. This traps and allows the residue heat in the oven to finish the cooking without using any energy.
• always cover pots - they boil much faster that way

5. Try to buy organic whenever possible. Much of our agricultural land is becoming unuseable due to overuse of artificial fertilizers and pesticides. The nutritional value in soil is becoming more and more depleted meaning fewer crops, less nutrient-rich food, and more land becoming worthless as farm land.

Organic farming treats our soil with more respect. No chemicals or pesticides are allowed anywhere on the property. Absolutely nothing that is not 100% natural and/or organic is used in crop production.

The result? Produce that is tasty; healthy; loaded with valuable vitamins, minerals and fibre; and, good for our bodies. The even better news is that organic produce costs approx. the same as that produce grown on artifical fertilizer and chemical-laden pesticides.