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Lauren Weber

Ms. Woelke

AP English Language Arts

2019 November 15

Pro’s and Con’s to Wind Farms

The amount of energy used by the US alone is an unbelievable amount and changing the

way we make energy is not an easy decision. Wind turbines are a great option when it comes to

saving energy; however, there are many things to consider when an individual or an agency

invests in them. Governments and consumers are used to using coal, natural gas, oil, water, and

nuclear or solar power. Nonetheless, the idea of investing in an environmentally friendly, and

renewable wind turbines seems appealing. Factors such as cost, accessibility, and reliability are

all huge factors in deciding whether or not to purchase a wind farm. On the contrary, many

people are uninterested in wind turbines due to knowing how dependable the well-known,

popular choice of coal and other traditional methods are and not wanting to change how they

produce energy. Before deciding whether or not to purchase multiple wind turbines, the investor

should consider the advantages and disadvantages that come with the wind turbine.

Wind power is growing popularity among the masses due to it being eco-friendly. Coal

emits harmful gasses like CO2 and nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere. Both of these chemicals

are harmful to vegetation which makes wind turbines more fascinating. Wind farms are “clean

and renewable” and can also be owned “independently” meaning wind energy can be generated

at ones home (Source A). Wind turbines being independently owned is helpful to people living in

remote areas, unable to receive energy from coal and other materials. They are also reusable and
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don’t break for at least 20 years or more. Global warming has increased drastically over the last

couple of years, and wind turbines may help decrease climate change. The majority of

greenhouse gasses emitted into the atmosphere are due to energy production. When wind is

converted from fuel to electricity, it is 1,164% more effective than traditional methods used for

fuel/energy (Source F). That means when wind is transformed from fuel to electricity it is much

more useful and would organically help fix global warming. Wind power would limit the amount

of greenhouse gasses being emitted into the atmosphere due to not needing anything other than

natural wind. Investing in wind turbines would not only help the environment but could be

individually owned as well.

Nevertheless, wind turbines have been associated with health issues and dissatisfaction of

the consumer. Wind turbines would be considered a recent innovation and the health factors

apparent in the users have not yet been confirmed. But, users have complained of “nausea, …

blurred vision, unsteady movement, and difficulty … remembering, and thinking” (Source C).

These are factors to consider when purchasing multiple or just one wind turbine. All the health

issues are surrounded by lack of sleep due to the noise of wind turbines. The noise keeps

investors up and leads to lack of sleep issues such as nausea, blurred vision, unsteady movement

and more. Many buyers also complain of the visual annoyance the wind turbines cause. Wind

turbines are “impossible to successfully camouflage” and “tower well above the earth’s surface”

which can be bothersome (Source E). Many consumers dislike how outrageously large they are

and that is one disadvantage that cannot be fixed. However, customers can try to camouflage

their own wind turbines to whatever way they would like. Some more disadvantages of

purchasing a wind turbine include, hazards to birds and bats, land erosion, and they can’t always
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run 100 percent power since wind speeds change often. These should often contemplated as they

are not easy topics to push out of one's mind.

When establishing a wind farm, these factors listed above should all be considered. The

advantages such as; clean and renewable wind turbines, easily independently owned, a helping

cause to cure global warming, and less harmful gasses emitted into the atmosphere are all

reasons why individuals should consider buying a wind turbine farm. But, like every object in

the world, there are disadvantages as well. The disadvantages consist of health issues,

unhappiness with the product, danger to winged creatures, and land erosion. Clearly, if the

investor has enough money, they should thoroughly consider buying a wind turbine farm.