Energy Sources
Among the top energy alternatives, wind and solar power have gained the most ground in popularity and effectiveness. Wind was recently rated the world's fastest-growing source of new power and its energy capacity grew at an annual rate of 25 percent to 35 percent a year over the past decade, according to the American Wind Energy Association. Part of the strategy has been in building bigger and bigger windmills that can stretch to higher levels where wind blows stronger. The giant windmills, which now reach up to 300 feet in height, also feature sprawling blades, some as long as football fields, that can generate more power. Although wind power doesn't pollute the environment, it isn't entirely harmless. The giant windmills take up vast swathes of land and their giant blades often chop down flying birds. Solar power has not advanced at the same rate as wind power, but researchers hope cutting edge technology might improve its standing as a U.S. power source in the near future. "If you can supply roof shingles or side panels that generate solar power, then sola
Biomass is any animal or plant product that can be burned or fermented or concentrated for fuel. James Teaney is in charge of converting pig waste into fuel for Northwest Missouri State University. To extract power from pig waste, the sludge is dried, mixed with waste paper or sawdust and then formed into small pellets. The pellets are then burned in giant incinerators that power the campus' heating or cooling systems for one day on one and a half tons of waste. "Consider this," says Teaney, "you get eight pounds of manure out of one pig every day. That's a lot of fuel." Teaney claims the campus saved nearly a million dollars in cooling and heating costs this past year. Kris Borgeson, meanwhile, swears by corn as the ideal alternative fuel source. Her family's Cambridge, Minn., home is equipped with two corn kernel burners that keep the 4,000-square foot residence warm on less than 40 pounds of corn a day. She buys the dried corn from her neighbor for $1.75 a bushel (about 75 pounds). "It's cozy like a fire place, it doesn't smell like popcorn or soot and 75 pounds of corn
Some topics in this essay:
Energy Association,
Cambridge Minn,
Fuel Gas,
North Carolina,
DC Wind,
Wind Sun,
Science Foundation,
Missouri University,
Consider Teaney,
Kris Borgeson,
solar power,
ocean floor,
pig waste,
giant windmills,
75 pounds,
wind power,
wind sun,
wind solar,
wind solar power,
pounds corn,
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Approximate Word count = 730
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)
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