wind power for the win!

Per Project Drawdown, wind power is ranked second best out of hundreds of climate solutions. Building wind turbines (onshore! so the sea animals are safe) and shifting to wind as a renewable energy source, especially for major cities, could save 84.6 gigatons of CO2 by 2050.

In the USA, “the wind energy potential of just three states — Kansas, North Dakota, and Texas — would be sufficient to meet electricity demand from coast to coast” (Project Drawdown). Wind farms have a small footprint, so they allow for other land uses to co-occur or for land to be conserved.

A common worry with wind turbines is their negative impact on local wildlife. newer designs offer solutions that reduce the impact on local flying populations. For example, scientists have found that painting one blade of a wind turbine black increases its visibility and reduces bird fatalities by 70+% (MIT Climate Portal). Wind companies also now survey potential wind farm sites in order to avoid placing wind turbines in important habitat areas. Notably, fewer birds die by wind turbine than by domesticated cats allowed outside to hunt — so we can keep that in mind too!