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If the world wants to avoid catastrophic climate change, we must stop consuming fossil fuels and start producing energy from renewable energy sources – including geothermal energy, biofuels, hydroelectric plants, solar parks and wind – as soon as possible.
Wind energy is particularly attractive because it is one of the cheapest and most efficient ways to generate electricity. But that does not mean that wind energy does not cause potentially worrying side effects, according to a study published today in Joule magazine.
If we were to build enough wind turbines to provide all the electricity used in the United States – the one we use when we operate a switch or charge our phones, although this is not what is used to power cars or to make steel – all these turbines in motion actually change the flow of the atmosphere above.
This redistribution of heat could warm regions near the wind farms to about 0.24 degrees Celsius. This is a significant amount.
In other words, producing wind energy always has effects on the climate. But that does not mean it's causing climate change, according to Lee Miller, a postdoctoral researcher working for the Keith Group at Harvard and co-author of the new study, along with David Keith, a researcher in climatology and geoengineering.
This warming effect is a local effect, Miller told Business Insider. This differs from global warming and climate change caused by burning fossil fuels.
"Even with renewable technologies, there are climate impacts," Miller said. Nevertheless, he added that this was not a reason to stick to fossil fuels – and he fears that people who deny climate change are misusing the new study.
"I have no doubt that these results will be misinterpreted and misinterpreted," he said.
Wind vs. Coal – and why seeing the benefits may take some time
At present, global temperatures are climbing because the use of fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. This modified atmosphere acts as a blanket and traps more heat on the planet. Scientists are expecting serious consequences, including the disappearance of species, dreaded heat waves, ocean acidification, more violent and rainy storms and rising levels of heat. the sea, so many reasons to move away from fossil fuels.
For their new study, Miller and Keith used data collected from existing wind farms to design a model evaluating the effects of a greater amount of wind energy. To generate the current electricity needs of the United States, about one – sixth of total energy consumption in the United States, Miller said that we would need about 16 times the amount of energy consumed in the United States. wind energy that we currently use.
But placing the wind farms at ideal locations (as shown in the map above) and running them simultaneously would create a disruption of the atmosphere above. The changes in the circulation would lead to immediately higher temperatures of about 0.24 ° C. The authors calculated that it was about 10 times the effect obtained if the solar power plants produced this energy.
Nevertheless, since these changes redistribute heat (without adding heat to the system, such as when burning fossil fuels), regions could experience cooler temperatures on average.
The global effects would be a mixture of good and bad.
In the wind farm area, the growing season could be extended by a few weeks as night frosts would be less likely. But parasites can also begin to appear earlier and disappear later in the season. There could be more evaporation, but also more rainfall. And it may also be possible to compensate for some changes, such as not running turbines as often at night, as they would cause additional warming.
"Even with renewable technologies, there are climate impacts, so if we can understand these climate impacts before deployment, there may be a way to adjust or modify them," Milller said. "Ideally, we know ahead of time and learn as we progress."
Immediately turn on all these turbines, and the temperatures are warmer. But over time, the benefits begin to grow. Every year, people consume energy from turbines rather than fossil fuels, which helps to release less CO2 into the atmosphere. This has a long-term benefit for future generations.
Winds of controversy
The problem with publishing research like this is that the interests of fossil fuels might try to use them as evidence that switching to renewables is not as urgent or as important as most experts believe.
"It's a major concern," Miller said.
His argument is that we should fully understand the positive and negative aspects of each source of energy we use, and this should not prevent us from understanding that the abandonment of fossil fuels must take place. This is reminiscent of scientists who believe that vaccines are safe, effective and important, but are nevertheless conducting controversial studies to try to improve them, sometimes highlighting side effects or weaknesses.
"All forms of energy have externalities, they have their advantages, they have their disadvantages," said Joshua Rhodes, research fellow at the Energy Institute and Webber Energy Group of the University. from Texas to Austin. "We should examine strengths and weaknesses."
As Miller explains, we need all the information we have to successfully complete the transition to renewable energy.
"Reaching these big goals in terms of renewable energy will, in my opinion, be a lot harder than most people think … there is a lot to learn to steer us in this direction," he said. he declares.
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