Cllr. Kenneth O'Flynn

Environment

Wind is the way forward

Wind energy is environmentally friendly and helps us make wiser
choices with our precious natural resources. Compare wind to
conventional forms of electricity generation like thermal power,
which burns fossil fuels and contributes to climate change or
to nuclear power, which uses vast quantities of fresh water and
leaves behind toxic waste.

Wind power is a pollution-free and endless source of energy.
It’s clean and limitless and leaves a small environmental footprint
on our planet. Wind is the natural choice.

Wind: a power unlike any other.

An environment with fewer emissions.
Electricity is a necessity of modern life. But modern life also means making wise choices. Wind energy is that choice. It helps diversify our energy mix and gives us a cleaner way to generate power for all.

Let’s take a look at conventional ways to create the electricity used in our homes and workplaces.In many parts of ireland, most of this electricity comes from power plants that burn fossil fuels like coal or natural gas. An inevitable by-product of burning these fuels is air pollution. When considering electricity generating options, we need to consider the full range of costs – including those associated with environmental impacts like air pollution andits long-term health effects.
With wind, there is a change in the air!



Wind energy generates no air emissions at all. Turbines are powered by wind, naturally, and generate no air pollution. Wind energy doesn’t contribute to
smog, acid rain or climate change. Adding wind to Ireland energy mix is a smart
choice for the future – and the right one too.



According to Environment studys
18% greenhouse gas emissions
are created by burning fossil
fuels to generate electricity.

Where there’s wind energy there’s less impact on water.

Fresh water is a precious natural resource we all want to preserve. Adding wind energy to Ireland energy mix is a great way to help us accomplish this goal.
Some hydroelectric power plants can disrupt existing water flows and flood vast areas
of land.Coal-fired power use over 500 times as much water, per unit of energy, as wind. Thermal power production in Irelands withdraws more fresh water than the manufacturing, municipal, agriculture, and mining sectors combined.2 other than occasionally washing the blades in regions with extremely low rainfall, wind farms require no water to operate.

Footprints in the wind.

So what is the environmental impression wind energy leaves behind? Minimal.That’s why the time is right for wind energy. Generating energy from wind doesn’t contribute to climate change, leaves behind no hazardous wastes and uses no water.
This might explain why this low-impact4, renewable, environmentally friendly source
of “green power” is a rapidly growing component of Irelands energy mix.
That’s why wind is the right choice right now.

The real cost of energy.



When we evaluate the cost of energy, we also like to consider the total environmental
impact of getting energy from its initial source to you. This includes site construction, mining, transporting fuel, and the cost of closing down the power plant. Known as a lifecycle analysis, it helps us understand the real environmental
and economic cost of energy. Wind energy has very low lifecycle environmental costs – largely associated with producing and installing the turbines – and that’s a good thing.

Conventional sources of energy have higher environmental lifecycle costs1 because of all the activity it takes to turn these natural resources into electricity. For instance, coal and natural gas must first be extracted from the ground before being shipped by truck or train or sent by pipeline to power plants for conversion into electricity. All this uses energy and creates air pollution.

Whereas a wind turbine generates electricity whenever the wind blows with no need for extraction, transportation or any other environmentally damaging process. Just the pure movement of air is all it takes to powerthe turbines.air is all it takes to power the turbines.


E N V I R O N M E N TA L B E N E F I T S

According to the Renewable
Energy Policy Project3, a
coal-fired power plant’s
lifecycle costs are over twice
as high as a wind farm’s, per
unit of energy produced.