Earth Policy Update #167: Record Breaking Windpower! 4 March 2008
This just in! While Obama and Clinton favor NUCLEAR power, wind is looking more and more the smart person’s play. FYI - Ralph Nader is a big wind (now don’t say “bag”!) supporter. But, hey, the great news is that no matter who you vote for (Clinton, Obama or the Republican guy), you’ll be picking a President without a developed environmental agenda! John Edwards for VP? Then you’ll get my vote, Obama.
Eco-Economy Indicator — WIND ENERGY
March 4, 2008
Eco-Economy Indicators are the twelve trends the Earth Policy Institute tracks to measure progress in building an environmentally sustainable economy — an eco-economy. Wind power capacity is an indicator because wind is poised to become the foundation of the new energy economy.
GLOBAL WIND POWER CAPACITY REACHES 100,000 MEGAWATTS
Jonathan G. Dorn
At its current growth rate, global installed wind power capacity will top 100,000 megawatts in March 2008. In 2007, wind power capacity increased by a record-breaking 20,000 megawatts, bringing the world total to 94,100 megawatts — enough to satisfy the residential electricity needs of 150 million people. Driven by concerns regarding climate change and energy security, one in every three countries now generates a portion of its electricity from wind, with 13 countries each exceeding 1,000 megawatts of installed wind electricity-generating capacity…
For entire text see www.earthpolicy.org/Indicators/Wind/2008.htm
For data see www.earthpolicy.org/Indicators/Wind/2008_data.htm
For an index of Earth Policy Institute resources related to Wind Energy see www.earthpolicy.org/Indicators/Wind/index.htm
And for a plan to move rapidly to renewable energy, see Plan B 3.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization, by Lester R. Brown, posted on-line for free downloading at http://www.earthpolicy.org/Books/PB3/index.htm.
All energy forms that do not include imported petroleum need to be focused on and investigated as soon as possible. We are currently being held over a barrel by nations that control our current energy needs through their petroleum reserves. We are at their mercy and they know it.
Without research into alternative forms of energy, we will continue to be a nation enslaved by others who have taken advantage of many years of lack of action on our part.
You don’t fight wars over resources that can never be depleted. Wind is God given and will be around long after man has left the scene.