As the world's population grows, so too does society's thirst for energy. We are meeting this increase in demand through the creation of more and more fossil fuel dependent systems. However, as a global society there is a desire to become greener in every aspect of life. One of these aspects is power production.
People want to get their power from more environmentally-friendly sources. The problem is that people don't want to pay more, or use less, therefore, we have to diversify our efforts and look into new ways to supply society's endless demand for power. One alternative to this problem is the harnessing of high altitude winds.
High altitude winds have the potential to be one critical piece of the puzzle in the global power picture.
High altitude winds are located between three hundred metres and 10 kilometers above the surface of the Earth.
These winds are much stronger than surface winds, as well as being more consistent. On average, high altitude winds are between three to 10 times as strong as those found on the ground.
Through the use of what is essentially existing technology, it is theoretically possible to meet much of the world's current energy demands through this new and sustainable source of energy.
This is just food for thought in the growing debate on how to become greener as a society.
Andrew Hepburn
Prince George
