There is no doubt that the environment is hurting from our use of dirty energy. Wind will not only be able to offset the high levels of CO2 produced by fossil fuels, but will also produce clean energy within the earth’s natural limits.
Global warming provides undeniable risks — from melting sea ice, dying coral reefs and animal extinction, to resource shortages and extreme and deadly natural disasters. Fossil fuels have driven current greenhouse gas emissions to new heights, which have fed these dangerous global warming disasters; however, wind energy offers opportunities to combat these risks.
Wind energy brings long-term environmental benefits by offsetting greenhouse gases as well as air pollutants. For instance, over its life-cycle, nuclear energy emits between 2.6 and 9 times more CO2 than wind energy, while oil emits around 10 times more and coal between 7 and 17 times more.
On top of air pollution, fossil fuels have also limited the water supply. Specifically, thermal electricity generation and nuclear power consume more water every year than the entire population of Germany and, by 2030, we are expected to only have 60% of our current water supply if this trajectory continues. However, wind energy offers an alternative that has avoided consuming 387 billion litres of water in 2012, which is equivalent to the consumption of about 7 million EU citizens and further saved the economy €743m.
When the harms of dirty energy are so evident, it is hard to deny the need for a cleaner energy alternative. Wind energy is one of the cleanest energy generating technologies that can not only improve the current state of the climate, but also provide a healthier environment for future generations to come.