Windmills - An Often Overlooked Renewable Energy Source

There was a time when it wasn't uncommon to see large sweeping windmills on many rural farms. They were used to pump water or run the machinery for grinding grain. Just a few decades ago, those days seemed to be nearly over with, but with the renewed interest in going green and trying to find ways to meet energy demands using alternative methods, modern technology is being applied to the simple windmill.

The graceful windmills from our past still work quite well for harnessing the power of the wind, but an even better type of windmill has been introduced across the nation. It is called the wind turbine, or wind generator. Wind turbines are mainly used in wind farms, for the commercial production of electricity. They have 3 blades which are pointed into the wind for maximum efficiency.

Many states in the USA either already have energy producing wind turbines, or are planning to build them in the near future. These states include Texas, Washington, Oregon, California, West Virginia, Wyoming, Minnesota, Georgia, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Maine, Arizona, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Virginia, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Wisconsin, Illinois, Ohio and Massachusetts. The majority of these states have full fledged energy producing wind farms in use, while a small number of them only have a few wind turbines supplying electricity to single buildings.

While the controversy continues over the impact of wind turbines on wildlife, especially birds and bats, it seems the benefits gained by using wind turbines hugely outweigh any negative impact on natural wildlife. Studies show that the number of birds killed by wind turbines is negligible, while bat species do appear to be at risk during certain hours of the day. Since nearly nothing is known about current bat populations, no determination has been able to be made between the loss of bat life and wind farms.

Many wind farms are placed in locations already in use for farming, with cattle and sheep grazing contentedly in the fields beneath them. The animals seem to pay no attention to the towering wind turbines and have not been impacted negatively in any way.

With so much stress on going green, and the abundance of information on solar energy available today, many people have overlooked windmills altogether. They are a viable renewable energy source, whether used for your own home or on a commercial scale. Next time you travel across the landscape, look up. You just might see a windmill or wind turbine standing majestically against the sky.

Kathy enjoys cooking, gardening and unique collectibles. Visit a German Collectibles Haus to see the 2009 Steinbach Nutcrackers

GM's Lutz Calls For National Renewable Energy Policy

During President George Bush's State of the Union Address in January this year, he pointed out that one of his administration's goals is energy independence for the country. He also promised to earmark a huge amount of funding for the development of alternative fuels which will reduce the United States' dependence on oil-producing countries.

This announcement was followed by the President's visit to the assembly plants of General Motors and Ford. The president also met with chief executive officers from Ford, General Motors and Chrysler as evidence of his dedication to making the United States energy independent. While the "Twenty in Ten" goal announced by the President is supported widely by U.S. car manufacturers, General Motors' Vice Chairman Bob Lutz seems to have taken a step back from the administration-inspired "global climate-change mania".

The journeyman of the auto industry who has worked for BMW, Chrysler and Ford and currently with General Motors pointed out that the administration should enact a national policy concerning the use of alternative fuels. Lutz pointed out that the current energy dependence issue is putting pressure on the auto industry only. He pointed out that the auto industry is already doing its part to reduce fuel dependence but it also needs help from other sectors of the country especially the alternative fuel industry with the support of the U.S. government.

One problem being faced by the auto industry is that there are few refilling stations that are catering to the need for bio-ethanol.

This issue has been raised recently by concerned individuals in the auto industry. The number of flex-fuel vehicles on the road is ever increasing but only one percent of these actually run on E85. This fact shows that the vehicles produced by car manufacturers to reduce fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions are being rendered useless.

While tests have shown that if these vehicles run on E85, which is a combination of conventional gasoline and bio-ethanol, greenhouse gas emissions can be significantly reduced. Add to that the fact that these vehicles are still running on conventional gasoline shows that greenhouse gas emission is not really reduced.

Another problem being faced by the alternative fuel industry is that it cannot produce enough bio-ethanol for the nation's consumption. The Bush administration has already taken steps to support the alternative fuel industry by urging the U.S. Congress to approve the funding for companies developing alternative fuels. Bob Lutz though has suggested that the United States should import bio-ethanol from Brazil. Brazil is currently the fastest growing producer of bio-ethanol. "I'd much rather import from Brazil than from some of the countries that we're getting the oil from today," says Lutz.

In the United States, aside from developing bio-ethanol as an alternative to fossil fuel, biodiesel is also being promoted as a substitute to petroleum diesel.

As far as General Motors financial stability, Lutz said that GM is having a "pretty good year". This is in view of the fact that Toyota has overtaken them for the first quarter of 2007 in terms of global sales. General Motors, while losing billions for the past couple of years or so, has posted a good ending to the year 2006 with a fourth quarter profit of $950 million. Although the Detroit-based auto manufacturer ended 2006 on a high note, they still suffered from a $2 billion loss for the entire year. While Toyota's success may require highly efficient brake pads from EBC Active Brakes Direct to be slowed down, General Motors is already taking steps to take back their position as the top of the sales output list.

As far as the competitiveness in today's auto industry, Lutz has this to say: "This industry is more than 100 years old, and it has definitely seen some dog-eat-dog days, but I'd venture to say that it's never seen a period of more intense, more pressure-packed competition than right now."

Anthony Fontanelle is a 35-year-old automotive.buff who grew up in the Windy City. He does freelance work for an automotive magazine when he is not busy customizing cars in his shop.You can also visit EBC active brakes direct for more information.