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Jun 10, 2009 06:40 PM | 11
New research shows that the very wind that many hope will turn alt-energy turbines may actually be dying. The reason, ironically: climate change, say the authors of a study that will be published this summer in Journal of Geophysical Research.
Both average and peak U.S. gusts have been on the decline for at least 30 years, particularly in the East and Midwest, reports the Associated Press, and fewer days—than in the past—have any breeze at all, according to lead study author, Sara Pryor, a professor of atmospheric science at Indiana University.
Winds are still blowing across the West at a good clip, but according to the readings (taken from wind-measuring stations), the Midwest has seen a 10 percent decrease over the past 10 years. "The stations bordering the Great Lakes do seem to have experienced the greatest changes," Pryor told the AP, explaining that with more water and less ice on the lakes (thanks to warming), winds move more slowly across the surface.
On a global scale, a cut in wind power makes sense with climate models, noted co-author Eugene Takle, a professor of atmospheric science at Iowa State University. As poles warm up, temperature—and likewise pressure—differences between the equator and poles will even out, which means less wind, the authors explained.
Although the research is based on years of data measurement, the authors admit that more rigorous study is needed to understand how climate change will impact winds—and wind power, a source that currently supplies about 1.5 percent of the globe's juice. Pryor also noted that it's possible changing landscapes around measurement equipment—from new buildings to growing trees—could skew the results over time.
Some climate scientists and wind energy proponents disagree with the findings, noting that models have so far shown no impact on wind speeds. But the director of Pennsylvania State University's Earth System Science Center, Michael Mann, told the AP that the research "demonstrates, rather conclusively in my mind, that average and peak wind speeds have decreased over the U.S. in recent decades."
Image courtesy of rptnorris via Flickr
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11 Comments
Add CommentI thought global warming was supposed to increase the wind storms, hurricanes, and tornados. Which is it, more wind or less?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe absolute temperatures may change, but surely, wind is caused by the temp/pressure differences, and the difference between the poles and equator should still exist and stay at similar levels, or does global warming effectively flatten the earth?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisUmm, doesn't the sun have a major impact on wind and we are just starting to come out of a solar minimum period? Wouldn't that have an effect?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisJoJo, please don't oversimplify. You can have more storms that are more violent, and still have a decrease in day to day average wind speed.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisCheck out sciencedaily link explaining how stronger winds caused by global warming is causing more dispersal of flora.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thishttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090611065853.htm
I guess we are having stronger winds and weaker winds at the same time.
Hmm ...... ..... ... .
Global warming has not been shown as a homogeneous effect as of yet. The primary effected areas are typically colder regions. Basically temperatures across the globe are becoming more uniform, so less wind.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWind power with its erratic power flows, enormous land area, concrete and steel requirements has been shown to be almost useless. It would take wind farms taking up 300 square miles of land to replace a one acre 1 Gigawatt nuclear plant. Wind Power requires 30 times the steel and green house producing concrete of a nuke. It can be shown that wind power actually produces more CO2 than gas power plants alone because of the fast spooling low efficiency gas plants required to load balance the things.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisNuclear power plants just keep on ticking rain or shine sleet or hail matters not. They are there when you need it at a lower cost both financially and environmentally than any other technology. It can get us off oil in ten years if we wish and it can not only end the global warming march but reverse it.
While creating millions of tons of nuclear waste which nobody knows how to get rid of. Whoopee.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisNuclear waste is tiny fraction of the highly toxic filth produced by coal plants.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIn fact generation 4 reactors are designed to use previous generations reactor waste as fuel. Lots of safe places for geologic storage but In any event, we could just pick out any one of the thousand of square miles due for destruction by wind farms and use that to store the waste. Alberta tar sands moonscape seems like a good spot.
Nuclear waste is tiny fraction of the highly toxic filth produced by coal plants.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIn fact generation 4 reactors are designed to use previous generations reactor waste as fuel. Lots of safe places for geologic storage but In any event, we could just pick out any one of the thousand of square miles due for destruction by wind farms and use that to store the waste. Alberta tar sands moonscape seems like a good spot.
The Affect of many Industry and all the encreasingly of nuclear production.time by time ozon almost finished
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this